Everything Changes
by Alex Beckett
Summary: When Amanda hits her first stumbling block in a very long time, her whole world is turned upside down faster than she can blink. What will happen in the aftermath?
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: All I own here is what I make up.**

 **For Mai and Jade, because without them, there would be no story.**

* * *

Amanda-June McLaine Rollins.

That was Amanda Rollins' real name, and she hated it. Why? Because it reminded her of home, down in Loganville, Georgia.

Yes, she'd gotten out of Georgia for good because of her history with her former captain, and also because of how sexist the men in her old unit had been, but there had also been another excellent reason she'd gotten out that not even Olivia, Nick, Fin, or Carisi knew: Bedelia.

And who was Bedelia?

Amanda's mother.

Amanda wasn't one to use derogatory terms, but when it came to Bedelia Rollins, the phrase 'white trash' always popped into her head because that's what Bedelia was. She wasn't overweight, like a lot of people in that classification were, but she sure did present with every other marker of the term: her southern drawl was almost thicker than Amanda's, and she had a lot of boot-type shoes, but while she wore jeans with her t-shirts in the cool weather, in the summertime, she always opted for shorts.

Bedelia Rollins also happened to be a smart person, but more it was more streetwise than anything else because she hadn't got any education past her junior year of high school, and unsurprisingly, she owned a shotgun and knew how to use it. Bedelia also shopped mostly at K-Mart and cooked almost exclusively out of Paula Deen cookbooks, was a smoker, and had also never lived anywhere than the trailer that she currently lived in.

Her home and neighborhood was another story, but just like any other bottom-of-the-heap, desolate southern motor park, not a lot of its residents ever strayed far from it. Amanda was the first person from the Rolling Hills Motor Park to leave it altogether in far too long, and for that, the residents closed ranks on her.

But as far as the name thing went, she'd gone by Amanda Rollins the second she could.

If any of her current colleagues found out her full name or where she'd grown up, she'd probably crawl into a hole and never come out.

* * *

"Amanda?"

The detective jumped at the sound of her name being called across the bullpen; it had been a very quiet day at work, and so things were humdrum, at best. Thank goodness her shift ended in ten minutes.

Amanda usually hated to be still, but today she welcomed it, because it gave her a chance to slow down and think about a pressing situation that she really needed to sit down and sort out with Nick as quickly as possible. She'd only just stumbled upon the news in the morning, before work, but she'd been so nervous that she just didn't know how or when to tell Nick about it.

When she heard her own name being called out, she'd expected it to be him, so imagine her surprise when it had been Olivia.

She stood and looked in her direction. "Yeah, sarge?"

"Will you come see me for a minute, please?"

Ignoring Fin's, Nick's, and Carisi's playful comments about getting called to the principal's office, Amanda answered her summons.

"What is it?" Amanda asked, genuinely curious when Olivia shut the door behind her and sat down on the edge of her desk.

"Are you okay?"

The question had been asked with motherly concern, so Amanda answered the question with one of her own. "What makes you think that I'm not?"

"I've known you for four years now—I can read you like a book. You're also the closest I've had to a daughter in five years."

That last part derailed Amanda almost completely because one, she wouldn't have made it this far in the NYPD without Olivia's tough love, but sometimes forgot that with the sixteen years between them, Olivia was technically old enough to be her mother, and two, Amanda had no idea that Olivia had ever had a child in addition to Noah.

"I'm flattered by that last part, but back up a second—you had a child _before_ Noah?"

Olivia nodded, thinking briefly of Gladys Dalton, the beautiful but misguided and troubled young woman who had been part of one of her cases already half a decade ago. Gladys, who, just before falling through the cracks to never been seen or heard from again, left her premature, frail, disabled newborn daughter in Olivia's guardianship, effectively making her her mother.

"Yeah, I did, but Grace passed away just after she was born because she was too little." Olivia motioned for Amanda to come sit in a chair by the desk. "You aren't in trouble right now, Amanda, I promise. All I want to do is talk to you as a friend; you've earned that with me."

Amanda sat down and began to think of how to begin to talk about what she'd been thinking of all day. She also pondered telling Olivia her true name because after all these years and all they'd been through, Olivia had more than earned _that._

Seeing that Amanda was collecting her thoughts, Olivia continued.

"I know you're done with your gambling and I'm so proud of staying clean, but there's another thing that's got you up in the clouds today. I thought it would be a good idea for you to get it out in the open."

Amanda finally spoke. "You said that we're having this conversation as friends?"

"Yes. It'll stay between us."

Comforted, Amanda took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Once again, I don't have the best timing in the world, but I just found out this morning that I'm pregnant!"

Olivia's heart leapt and she hugged her friend. Amanda sank into the hug and reciprocated, mostly because it felt so good to finally get this news out.

"Does Nick know?" Olivia asked when they pulled apart and Amanda sat back down.

Amanda started. "How did you know?"

"Like I said, I can read you like a book, but even if I couldn't, the dynamics between you and Nick remind me so much of how things were when I was with my old partner. I can't begin to tell you how many times people jumped the gun and assumed that he and I were married."

"Well, to answer your question, I haven't told him yet and I think you would've noticed if I had."

"Okay, I'll give you that. When did you start suspecting?"

Amanda stretched her legs, a nervous tic. "The same day as Noah's party."

"That was almost a _week_ ago."

"Uh-huh. Nick already has Gil and Zara, and they both live in California now; I feel like I've gotten myself stuck in a soap opera, Liv, because Nick and I really, _really_ care about each other, and sometimes it even feels like we're married, but what if he doesn't want another kid? I've got another five years before I turn _forty,_ but _this_ could be my _only_ chance to be a parent, and I have _always_ wanted a baby!"

Remembering how Nick had confided in her his consideration about early retirement and moving to California, Olivia said, "You and I both know that when it comes to the people closest to him, Nick does nothing but love, and he loves _deeply._ When you tell him, he's going to be happy, and he will do everything he can to make it work."

Amanda smiled, knowing that Olivia was right. Amanda also knew that she was the first woman whom Nick had been with that hadn't treated him poorly, like Maria had. She wanted to keep that for as long as she could because she knew that they were already on the path to something wonderful.

"Thanks." she said. "That really makes me feel better."

"I'm glad to hear that."

 _DING!_

"Excuse me a second."

Amanda's phone had chimed at her, so she pulled it out of her jacket pocket to see who it was from. When she read the name, she rolled her eyes.

"And I was having _such_ a nice day…"

"That bad, huh?" chuckled Olivia. "Who's it from?"

Amanda heaved a theatrical sigh. "My mom."

Olivia was immediately interested, because other than Kim, none of them knew anything about the rest of Amanda's family. "When was the last time you talked to her?"

"It was over the phone, but just after Kim cleaned me out. My mom hasn't been all that nice to me since I got the hell out of dodge to come up here, and that was four years ago."

Olivia saw Amanda's pointer finger tapping almost restlessly on the corner of her iPhone.

"Are you going to answer her?"

Amanda pouted, channeling her inner child. "Do I _have_ to?"

"I'll intercept your phone and answer her for you if you don't."

Amanda sobered up at that because she knew that in that moment, Olivia was talking to her as a surrogate mother, a role she'd come to play towards her once they'd gotten to know each other. Olivia took it very seriously, and Amanda had no doubt that given enough time, the older woman would crack her phone password.

"Okay, okay, but I'm going to read it aloud, because if she's dropping a bombshell on me, we'll both hear it."

"Fair enough."

Amanda opened the text. "Okay, here we go: _'AJ, I'm in town right now, and I really need to talk to you right now. Spagoli's at 6:30? Please?'_ Not a bombshell—thank the Lord—but I don't know what to say."

"Why's that?"

Amanda turned a slight shade of red. "I can't keep this quiet forever, but I come from a family of almost stereotypical Deep South white trash."

I didn't see that one coming, Olivia thought. "You do?"

"I'm the only good one, and Kim only shows _one_ shade of the family, but I grew up in a really poor trailer park, and let's just say that the very next step down from that is shacks with dirt floors because that neighborhood is just a quarter-of-a-mile down the road from the park. And even though we never had a lot of money, my sister somehow got a potbellied pig when she was twelve and kept it as a pet."

"A _potbellied pig?"_ Olivia echoed in amusement.

Amanda nodded. "Kim named him Clyde, and he was her shadow. That stupid, cranky thing might even still be alive."

 _"Please_ tell me _you_ had a weird pet."

"I had three hens: Annabelle, Emmylou, and Josephine. They thought they were puppies and followed me everywhere. I got teased all the time for it, but since I liked my hens, I didn't let the teasing get to me."

"You must have been a _really_ weird kid."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Olivia laughed and then glanced at Amanda's phone, still open to the text from her mother. She then thought back the relationship she'd had with her own mother and how damaged it had been until they'd taken steps to fix it. And she couldn't help it, but because Amanda had imprinted on her so long ago like a baby duck, she saw a lot of her younger self in her and really didn't want for her to have a bad relationship with the woman who had given her the gift of life.

"Reach out to her. Trust me, it'll you a lot of good."

Amanda continued to drag her heels through the mud. "Really? She called me some pretty bad things the last time we spoke."

"Do it for _me,_ Amanda. _Please."_

Amanda caved and began typing a response to her mother. "I'm doing this for you."

"Thank you."

Amanda's message read: _See you then._ It was short and to the point, but still held so much weight. As she hit send and put her phone away, she suddenly had the feeling that she'd just set something in motion. How the hell was she supposed to take _that?_

Olivia's voice cut through her thoughts again. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"No." Amanda answered honestly.

Olivia stood and pulled Amanda to her feet. "I said, if you leave now, you'll be able to make it to Spagoli's on time."

"Okay. Thanks for listening, Liv. It means a lot."

Amanda started to leave, but paused a moment when she saw that Olivia was furrowing her eyebrows.

"Cough it up." Amanda told her.

"Your mom called you AJ?"

"My full name is Amanda-June McLaine Rollins."

"Your service record says Amanda Rollins, though. No second or middle name."

"I've been going by Amanda Rollins for as long as I've been in law enforcement because my name is long, clunky, and ridiculous. It's traditions like that and the stereotypes that my mom is composed of that made me want to get out of Georgia in the first place. Kim knows better than to call me AJ, but my mom only calls me that when she wants to get something."

Olivia opened the office door for her. "Go on and go, but please play nice."

Amanda promised she would try.

* * *

 _ **Spagoli's Diner  
**_

 _ **2717 Lafayette & Lexington**_

 _ **6:30 PM**_

* * *

Spagoli's Diner was, as the name suggested, an Italian eatery, and it was neither to fancy nor too shabby, so anybody could eat there, including families. Amanda realized that Bedelia had chosen this place for that exact reason—it was a neutral zone.

One of the things that Amanda was always extra embarrassed about in regards to Bedelia—and would never be able to deny—was that she and Kim had both been born to her at very young ages. Because of that, Amanda was always going to know how she'd look less than fifteen years into the future, and the relationship she had with Bedelia Rollins wasn't typical.

Amanda found her sitting at a table near the back of the place and walked right up to it. "Mama? I don't think I've ever seen you out of Loganville before!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose." Bedelia laughed. "You could say I'm turning over a new leaf."

Despite her claim of starting over, Amanda was left disconcerted because of how things had ended between them the last time they'd talked. And although she was dressed nicer than Amanda had ever seen her, Bedelia also had yet to stand up.

"Are you alright?" Amanda asked her mother.

"I'm fine, Amanda-June, but I'm about to show you one of the things we came up here about. I just need you to back up a smidge."

Wondering who exactly constituted as 'we' in this case, Amanda did as she she was told, but then couldn't help gasping when Bedelia got to her feet. Her gasp was warranted, though: at age forty-eight, not only was Bedelia _pregnant,_ but she was _massively_ pregnant.

"Surprise." she sounded like a child who was desperate to please.

"Oh, my God…"

That was all Amanda could say as she sank into the nearest available chair, although she discovered Bedelia's other main reason of coming up to New York about a split second later.

"Hi-hi, my AJ!"

A little blond girl who looked about two or three was occupying the chair next to Bedelia's, propped up by a booster seat. She was dressed nicely and groomed even nicer, like Bedelia was doing her best to make a good impression, and one thing that Amanda noticed immediately was that the little one was equipped with a pair of kid-sized hearing aids.

That aside, this little girl bore a very striking resemblance to Amanda, which could only mean one thing, but Amanda was having trouble wrapping her mind around the concept.

"Hi-hi, my AJ!" the little girl repeated.

"Hi, sweetie." Amanda forced herself to speak. "What's your name?"

The little girl dissolved into giggles and looked to Bedelia, who was easing herself back into her chair. Amanda looked to her, too.

"Mama, who is _this?"_

"Her name is Maggie Blue. She's your sister."


	2. Make You Feel My Love

**I'm so pleased that you all liked the story :) sorry the update took so long—I have some other stories, too, but this chapter is nice and juicy!**

* * *

Amanda opened her mouth to say something in response to what her mother had said, but words were failing her.

Bedelia couldn't help but be amused. "I'll explain the situation to you, but I need you to pick something from the menu before the waitress comes. You must be hungry after being at work all day long."

Amanda decided that Bedelia had a point and chose what she wanted just in time to place her order. When that was done, Amanda finally found the words to say to her mother.

"Maggie Blue is my _sister…?"_

Bedelia nodded. "She's as much your sister as Kimberly Paige is, wherever _that_ particular child of mine off and vanished to, but I got completely clean for Maggie Blue when the doctors told me that she was going to be born with extreme hearing loss; that occurred because of a virus she contracted en utero."

"So that's why the hearing aids?"

"Yes. Your sister can hear us just fine when she's got the hearing aids in, and she's had them since she was very tiny, but once you get her talking, you'll notice that she signs when she's nervous and she has a language delay." Bedelia sat back in her chair, sighing, almost sadly. "It took me a lot longer than it should have to get myself together, and I'm so sorry for that, but I want you to get to know Maggie Blue now."

Amanda accepted Bedelia's apology. "When you say Maggie Blue is my sister, does that mean that you and my daddy…?"

"Twice."

Amanda blanched and held her tongue: the last time she saw her father, Odis Lee, she was twelve and chasing him out of the trailer after she caught him beating on Bedelia during a bad fight. She hadn't seen Odis Lee since, nor did she care to, but if Bedelia had gone back to see him after all of the years of separation—they were too broke to afford a divorce—then something was up.

"But don't you go throwing stones at me and calling it a lapse in judgement because I don't regret either time."

"No?"

"No." Bedelia confirmed. "If I had any ounce of regret, Amanda-June, then Maggie Blue wouldn't be here, and neither would the baby in my belly—who, I might add, is a boy, which means that you're finally getting the brother you spent your childhood begging me for."

Amanda very easily recalled all of the years she'd spent begging Bedelia for a brother so she could have a sibling that didn't annoy her as badly as Kim did. Even still—although it was mostly because she was awash in pregnancy hormones—Amanda sat back and rubbed at her eyes as tears formed in them.

Alarmed to see her precious big sister so upset, Maggie Blue left her seat, rounded the table, and climbed into Amanda's lap, hugging her tightly. Amanda was very surprised, but she returned the hug, even kissing Maggie Blue on the top of her head when she leaned against her.

Bedelia, meanwhile, was turning to mush at the sight. She'd always known that Amanda was the good one and had the biggest ability out of all of them to love and love deeply, and as she watched Amanda make Maggie Blue laugh up a storm, she knew she was being proven right.

And in Bedelia's eyes, Kim was a lost cause, but would always have a piece of her heart because she was her own flesh and blood. That left Amanda, and she would always be the best of them to set a good example for the youngest members of the Rollins clan.

She just hoped Amanda wouldn't hate her too much when she had to tell her the _real_ reason she'd come up to New York…

"Mama?"

Bedelia snapped back to attention, her heart first melting to hear that term from Amanda, and then second to see her calm and holding Maggie Blue in her lap, like it was an everyday occurrence. The sisters looked very content together.

"Are you okay?"

Bedelia did her best to sound convincing. "I'm fine."

Amanda was a little skeptical about that, but then asked a new question. "If you're up here _and_ you've had recent contact with daddy, then why isn't he here, too?"

At the mention of the man who had fathered all of her children, Bedelia's shields went up for a second, and she actually bent back the fork she was holding. Bedelia had always been very strong because her parents had taught her to fight growing up (one had been an MMA fighter and the other just liked to fight), but Amanda had no idea that she still maintained that kind of strength when she was only two years away from turning fifty.

"Please excuse me a moment, AJ." Bedelia said as she stood. "Watch your sister."

Amanda would have already said yes to that, but she still agreed and watched as her mother headed towards the bathroom. When she looked back at Maggie Blue, she saw that she was probing her middle with her chubby little fingers.

"What are you thinking, Maggie Blue?"

The toddler looked up from Amanda's middle and leaned back in her sister's arms and looked up at her. "Baby?"

"Yes! What do you think?"

Maggie Blue let out a squeal of joy and hugged Amanda for the second time, pouring as much love and affection into the hug as she knew how.

"I wish Nick could meet you." Amanda told her.

"Who's that?"

"He's…" Amanda suddenly realized that she had to chose her words very carefully because she was confiding her two-and-a-half year old sister. "He's my prince."

Maggie Blue was deeply impressed by this and mimicked taking a picture; the delay Bedelia had mentioned was kicking in.

"You want to take a picture of you to show him later?" Amanda suggested.

Maggie Blue nodded. "Yes!"

"Okay, little princess." Amanda dug her phone out of her pocket and activated the camera. "I think that can be arranged."

Maggie Blue trilled in delight and had a blast taking silly pictures with Amanda until their food came.

Bedelia arrived shortly thereafter.

Dinner went surprisingly well, and near the end, Bedelia was watching her daughters interacting with each other and noticed, now that they were sitting side-by-side, that they kept exchanging looks with each other and then giggling and grinning about something that they both seemed to know that she didn't.

"Okay, not that I'm not pleased that you two now have some kind of inside joke, or what have you, but what are you two so squirrelly about?"

Maggie Blue dissolved giggles—she thought the word 'squirrelly' was hilarious—meaning that it was up to Amanda to fill Bedelia in.

"While you were gone, Maggie Blue learned that she going to be an auntie, which means that our brother is going to be an uncle."

Amanda's words took a moment to register with Bedelia because they hadn't been direct, but when she got it, she lit up in pure joy.

"And that means I'm going to _finally_ be a grandmother?"

"Ye—hey wait: what do you mean, _'finally'?"_

"I mean exactly what I mean." Bedelia winked. "How far along are you?"

"Three months." Amanda said with a start as she recalled what the doctor had told her that morning. "I just didn't realize for awhile because things have been crazy at work like you wouldn't believe."

Bedelia shuddered: she knew full well which division of the police force her firstborn occupied, and while it always worried her because it was a notoriously _dangerous_ division, she would never care to hear any details.

"Have you told the father yet?"

"No. He _is_ in the picture, and we're seeing each other—kind of—but we also work together. I was planning on telling him tonight."

That last part wasn't a lie…

"Does anyone else at work know?"

"Just my boss, but she's like a second mom to me and even saved me from myself a few times. I really hope you can meet her because she has a little boy a touch younger than Maggie Blue, but also because you two would actually get along really well."

It made Bedelia so happy to see that Amanda was thriving here more than she had in Loganville, and she would normally be a little jealous to hear that someone was mothering one of her babies instead of her, but since she was working on being mature now, she was taking the high road.

"I hope I can meet her, too."

Seeing that they were all done with dinner, Bedelia quickly called for the check and paid for it before turning back to Amanda.

"Well, don't me keep you from telling your man your good news."

Amanda got what Bedelia was driving at, but still felt a little disappointed. "You gotta go?"

"Yeah, I do, and besides—look at Blue."

Amanda looked over at her sister to see that she was nodding off in her chair but then waking herself up every time her head jerked.

Having pity, Amanda pulled her sister into her lap again and kissed her cheek. "Hey, my sweet Bluebell, you've gotta stay away so mama can put you to bed."

"No." the little girl burrowed her face in her sister's chest (Amanda suddenly thought that her heart was going to explode from love at how comfortable she was with her). "Nuh-uh. _No_ sleepy time."

"Bluebell, can you sit up and look at me?"

Tickled by the use of her new nickname again, Maggie Blue sat up and looked at Amanda, who leaned in conspiratorially.

"If you cooperate with me _now,_ I promise that in a couple of sleeps, we can all go the park together. I'll even bring Nick _and_ my dog."

Maggie Blue's eyes grew huge at the mention of a pet. "A dog?"

"Mhm, and she loves to play, but she _really_ loves it when people give her hugs and kisses."

Enticed by the promise of meeting her sister's dog, as well as her Prince Charming, Maggie Blue was immediately more cooperative until she got home.

Before Amanda parted ways with her company, Bedelia gave her an envelope with a gift inside, instructing her to wait until she got home to open it.

Amanda didn't get to opening it until after she was home and had walked and fed Frannie Mae, but when she finally extracted what was inside, she turned to absolute mush: it was a sonogram of her baby brother.

"Okay." Amanda said to herself as Frannie Mae hopped up onto the couch with her and laid her head in her lap, hoping for some love. "Time to call Nick."

* * *

"Amanda, what is it?"

Nick was with her now, and she'd just been ready to tell him about the baby, but the words had gotten clogged up in her throat when she read his body language and realized that he had something to say, too.

"You go first."

Nick almost tripped over air; he was moments away from saying something that would more than likely break Amanda's heart. He thought he'd have more time.

"I've been thinking about early retirement." (Amanda was immediately aghast and said nothing) "I heard from Liv that after everything that I've gone through this year, there's an extremely slim chance of ever being promoted, and I've also been in the SVU as long as you—four years. My leg will help will heal eventually, but I was thinking about moving to California to be near Gil and Zara since they're both out there now."

Amanda suddenly recalled how in her conversation earlier that night with Olivia that the older woman had hesitated before advising her to tell Nick about the baby; Olivia had already known of Nick's plans, even if they'd been theoretical.

"Oh, Nick." Amanda sighed shakily as wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "You _might_ want to change your mind after you hear what I have to say."

Nick slid closer to her and put a hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Amanda, and you can tell me _anything._ You know that, right?"

"Of course." Amanda nodded. "I've had a very mixed up kind of day today, starting with a trip to the doctor's office where I found out that I'm pregnant."

At that, Nick felt like he had the wind knocked out of his lungs, but he soon recovered and was kissing her passionately on the lips. When they pulled her apart, Amanda turned to putty, especially when her man gave her the look of love that made it seem like she was the only other person in the world.

"You're happy?" Amanda asked in genuine surprise.

"More than you could possibly know." he said honestly. "I just found my reason to stay."

Amanda's heart skipped a beat. "Nick, I love you so much, but what about Gil and Zara? You changed your mind _awfully_ fast."

"I _could_ move across the country to be somewhat near them and still see them only sometimes, _or_ I could stay here and see you and the baby _every_ day. I'm divorced from Maria, and Gil's mother… well, we all know how that went. I'd be _alone_ in California."

"But now you'd rather be with me?"

Nick nodded a touched a hand to Amanda's middle, rubbing gentle circles on it. "Even if you weren't pregnant, you're still the one I want to be with in the end because you've been so good to me and kept me sane and grounded when I was in hell and I didn't know what to do with myself these past years, especially during the most recent one. It just wouldn't feel right if I was in California and you were still here _."_

"Because New York is our _home,_ and when we weren't looking, you and I built something together, didn't we?"

"Bingo." Nick planted another kiss on Amanda's lips. "I'm here for as long as you want me."

"Then you'd better get _very_ comfortable because we need to start looking at way bigger places because we have t minus six months until the baby comes."

"You're already _three_ months along?"

Amanda blushed. "Yeah. I didn't even start suspecting until—"

Her words were derailed completely when Nick began pressing hot kisses along her throat and all the down her body to her midriff. When he got to that, he pulled back Amanda's shirt and switched to kissing that spot delicately as he spoke to the baby.

Amanda almost got lost in the moment before she remembered what else had happened that evening.

"Nick," she ran her fingers through his dark silky curls. "There's a few _other_ things we've gotta talk about, but I promise they're all good."

Nick sat up, curious. "Really? What are they?"

Amanda took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Now that we're in this together, I should tell you my _real_ name."

"Your—"

Amanda silenced him by putting a finger on his lips as as she plowed on. "The other thing is that my _mom_ came up from Georgia, and… she isn't alone…"


	3. Little Talks

The next day, work was quiet again, but that was because they were all wrapping up the last leg of court appearances and paperwork from their most recent case. Amanda had never been so glad for the quiet because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to concentrate on any new cases at the moment because not for the first time in the near half-decade in the NYPD SVU, her life had been turned upside down.

At least she'd finished her her paperwork in a timely fashion.

Proud of herself on that account, Amanda printed and filed everything in the right order and brought the papers to Olivia's office to turn in. Upon her arrival, she found her CO's door shut, but when she knocked, Olivia bade her enter, so she did.

"Please shut the door behind you." the brunette said as Amanda entered.

Amanda did as she was told and started to ask why, but when she saw Olivia, her thoughts went right out the window: though it was quitting time, Olivia had changed outfits and was now in the process of getting dolled up.

That could only mean one thing.

"Wow…"

Instead of the business attire suit and heels she'd been wearing only an hour ago, she was now wearing a jade-colored dress that stopped just below her knees and hugged the upper half of her body, showing off Olivia's assets in a very flattering way. Amanda also noticed that the long skirt of Olivia's dress had some flair to it, allowing for mobility—part of Olivia's plans clearly included a physical activity later on. Even Olivia's hair was also done up nicely and being kept out of her eyes in an elaborately-styled bun. She was also wearing a pair of silver lace up three-inch heels, and Amanda happened to know that those were Olivia's favorites.

"Do I look alright?" Olivia asked, looking up from tying the sash on the back of her dress.

Amanda put her files in the out box on Olivia's desk and surveyed her friend. "Olivia, you look _fantastic!_ You going on a date?"

Olivia nodded and motioned for Amanda to come hold her mirror so she could properly fix her makeup. "Yes, and it's actually very convenient that it's tonight because Noah's babysitter is looking for some extra cash—the laptop she's been saving up for doesn't come cheap."

"Do we know who your date is?"

Olivia finished putting on her eyeshadow and then looked at Amanda with an arched eyebrow. "Amanda, you know me as well as I know you—you _know_ who it is."

The answer dawned on Amanda almost immediately, and she lit up like a little girl hearing a piece of wonderful news from her mother.

"Oh, wow! That's rreally wonderful!"

Olivia laughed as she finished with her make up and then put all of her accessories away in her makeup bag, which she went on to store in a desk drawer.

"I'm glad you're so excited, but it's not like I've asked her to marry me—yet—although I _do_ have plans for when that will happen."

At that, Amanda was practically in orbit because she knew that the person to which they were both referring to was very near and dear to Olivia's heart, and Amanda cared about the other woman's well-being so much that when Olivia was happy, so was she.

"Well, please tell me when you _do_ propose to her." the young detective had to force herself to speak so she didn't go flying off into La La Land. "What are you guys going to do tonight?"

"Dinner and dancing at a charity gala." Olivia checked the time on her wall clock above her door. "But I've still got some time before she comes to collect me. Come sit and tell me about how things went last night."

"I'll save the most dramatic parts for last," Amanda began. "But I told Nick about the baby, and he's one hundred percent over the moon."

"My fingers were crossed for you two." Olivia winked.

" _He_ told _me_ about how he was considering putting his papers in and moving to California to be by Zara and Gil, but now he's changed his mind and is choosing to stay!"

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief—though Nick was rough around the edges just like Amanda was, she was incredibly fond of him and would be sad to go, and not just because it would mean having to deal with a forlorn, broken-hearted Amanda.

"That's quite a relief. He's going to stay here and be a family with you and the baby?"

Amanda nodded bashfully as she glided a hand over her baby bump. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before."

"That's even better." Olivia touched a hand to Amanda's shoulder. "How did it go at dinner with your mom?"

Amanda immediately felt a torrent of emotions bubble up inside her, but she worked extra hard to keep it together.

"My mom is doing _really_ great, and it looks like she's working on retreating from the 'white trash' category because she's quit her drinking and smoking, her two biggest vices, _and_ we've even started to fix our relationship, which is incredible, all things considered, because she's more stubborn than I am."

Having been on the receiving end of Amanda's very stubborn ways many times, Olivia smiled in amusement. "You've always been practice for if I ever have a daughter of my own again, but now I want to meet your mother."

"She wants to meet you, too, but there are some things you ought to know about her beforehand."

"Such as?"

"Even if she hasn't said it, I'm certain that she _moved_ here."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, but it's concerning: the community I grew up in is way different than the rednecks and hillbillies, but we're still from the kind of stock that never leaves the area unless there's the one person who comes along every few decades that marches to their own drum and actually decides to make something _extraordinary_ out of their lives."

"And in this case, that person is you?"

Amanda nodded. "Yeah, and the reasons that my mom even _considered_ leaving home are _extremely_ apparent: she's _massively_ pregnant, and… I have a new sister who is about two years older than Noah."

Olivia opened her mouth to say something but then shut it when she couldn't think of what to say; of all the things she'd anticipated Amanda telling her, those last two pieces of information had not been in the realm of consideration at all.

"Time out." Olivia held her hands up in the universal time-out position. "How old _is_ your mom?"

"She's forty-eight."

If Olivia hadn't already found Amanda so fascinating, she would have now. "Wait: if you're thirty-five, that means that she had you when she was—"

"Thirteen, yep." Amanda blushed and plowed on. "The trouble is that this means she's been with my dad twice in the past few years, and they've been separated since I was twelve when I caught him being bad with her; I chased him out with a shotgun."

"Your parents are _separated,_ but not divorced?"

"They've both always been too broke to afford a divorce, and my dad is a rolling stone, as it is. Now that he's been with my mom _twice_ and _recently,_ that means they both know something important that I don't." Amanda sighed heavily. "If he shows up here and causes trouble, then I'm just going to apologize now—you may think that _Kim_ is crazy, but my dad is where she got it from."

"Noted."

Seeing that all of this talk about both of her parents was making Amanda uncomfortable, Olivia changed topics.

"Tell me about your new siblings."

Amanda was immediately smiles and sunshine again. "My mom is due _very_ soon, judging by the size of her belly, and he's expecting a _boy!_ I'm _so_ happy because I've _always_ wanted a brother!"

"Does he have a name yet?"

"No, but I hope that the little guy doesn't get stuck with a double-barrel, just like the rest of us."

Now Olivia was plain curious about the Rollins clan. "You mean your whole family has double names? Is that a Southern thing?"

"Uh-huh."

"So if you're Amanda-June, then what about everyone else?"

"My parents are called Odis Lee and Bedelia Rae, and Kim was born as Kimberly Paige. My littlest sister, though…"

Amanda gave another bashful grin and showed Olivia one of the pictures she'd taken of Maggie Blue with her phone during their impromptu photoshoot.

"What a doll." Olivia cooed, examining the picture. "She looks like a miniature version of you."

"And Bedelia looks like someone pressed the fast forward button thirteen years on _me:_ genes run _strong_ and _very_ deep in my family." Amanda laughed nervously as she took her phone back and put it in her pocket. "My baby sister's name is Maggie Blue."

"A cute name to go with a _very_ cute child."

Pleased that her sister was getting compliments, Amanda mused, "Maggie was the name of my mom's best friend who passed away from leukemia about ten years back, and that name means pearl. Plus, blue has always been my mom's favorite color, so that's probably how Maggie Blue got her name."

Olivia tapped the top of both her ears. "And I saw in the picture that Maggie Blue has hearing aids?"

"She needs them at all times when she's awake because otherwise, she's almost entirely deaf. She also has a language delay and signs when she can't think of what to say, but I love her so much already."

"What a great bug sister you are."

 _KNOCK KNOCK!_

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door and when Olivia opened it, Nick, Fin, and Carisi filed in.

Typical men that they were, each were gobsmacked at the sight of Olivia dressed up.

The woman in question stood and smirked at them. "Yes, mama is going on a date. Is that so weird?"

"Maybe a little bit." Carisi said cheekily.

"We just came to get Amanda because we're all going out for Chinese." Nick added. "We were going to extend the invitation to you, but you clearly have other plans."

Fin chimed in, "Your date is one lucky guy, Liv."

"Odafin, what makes you think my date _is_ a man?"

Realization hit Fin as fast as it had hit Amanda. _"Ohhh…"_

"There it is."

Nick and Carisi were both still in the dark, and Amanda laughed at them both as she stood and stretched.

"You two call yourselves detectives, and yet you can't figure out who the sarge is going out on a date with? Tsk tsk tsk."

"Hello?"

A new person had arrived and when they turned to see who it was, only Nick and Carisi were surprised to see who it was: Alex Cabot, and she was just as dolled up as Olivia, even wearing the same colored dress and shoes as her.

Obviously, Alex had not been expecting a crowd when coming to pick up her date, but she greeted everyone in turn before going over to Olivia and kissing her on the lips, not at all caring that they had an audience. Amanda, Nick, Fin, and Carisi all cheered Olivia on when she kissed her back.

When they pulled apart, Alex helped Olivia into her coat and watched as she put her purse on.

"You ready to go?" the attorney asked the sergeant.

"In a moment." Olivia took Alex's hand in hers, their fingers automatically intertwining as they turned to face the other four. "Alex and I are a couple now, but we'd appreciate it if you all kept that on the DL here, alright?"

"Okay." the others responded in unison.

"Where are you going?" blurted Carisi.

Amanda was curious about the exact destination, too, and so were Nick and Fin.

"If you must know, my pack of nosy parkers, we're going to a gala at the Rainbow Room."

Fin looked over at Alex, a knowing, playful smirk on his face. "Have Liv home by curfew now, and don't forget to kiss her good night when you bring her home."

"Okay, smart-ass." Alex responded in an equally playful manner. "Anything else I need to know from you and your sibling pack?"

Amanda decided to contribute something. "Just that I'm the baby, and if you _ever_ do anything to make Olivia sad, I'll ask the boys to set you straight."

Olivia swooped in, feeling like a kindergarten teacher. "That's enough out of you all, now. Good night, see you in the morning, and whoever is last out, please shut off the lamp and close the door behind you."

Amanda, Nick, Fin, and Carisi all grinned, pleased that they were pushing her buttons.

Olivia gave her attention to her date, holding the blond woman's fingertips to her lips and kissing them.

"I'm ready now, Alex. Shall we?"

"Absolutely."

With Alex quickly waving farewell to the others, they finally left.

Fin and Carisi were next, leaving Nick to stand at the door as Amanda turned out the lamp on Olivia's desk before joining him.

"Well, if Olivia got her happy ending with Noah and now Alex," Amanda said. "Then we can get ours, huh?"

"For sure."

Nick shut Olivia's office door behind them and they started walking towards where their friends were waiting for them by the desks.

"Now let's go have some fun."


	4. Amanda's Worlds Collide

**This chapter is for my most recent nonnie. You know who you are, and I can't wait to see what you say :)**

* * *

The next thing Amanda knew, a week had passed, and she and Nick were getting ready to go to the park. Once Bedelia heard that Olivia wanted to meet her, she extended the invitation to her, as well, and much to Amanda's delight, Olivia accepted.

Amanda spent the whole week being incredibly bouncy about the impending event, especially because the weather was fully cooperating and because they were making a picnic out of it, but now—on the day of—she was all of a sudden very quiet.

* * *

 _"There_ you are, Mandy."

After a little bit of searching the apartment, Nick found Amanda sitting on the edge of their bed. She was wearing a new sundress, had her shoes on, and her hair and makeup were even done, but now both hands were plastered over her middle, which had a pronounced swell to it. Most of all, though, Amanda's brow was furrowed, like she was pondering something as she stared into space.

"Mandy?"

Concerned when she didn't answer straight away and wondering where her head was at, Nick knelt down in front of his girlfriend and gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

That seemed to do the trick because Amanda squeezed back and gave Nick her attention. "Hey. I was just thinking."

"Oh, yeah? What about?"

"The first thing is that I feel as though all three of my worlds are about to collide."

"Because you, me, and Frannie Mae are about to go to the park to see your mom and your sister, and Olivia and Noah are coming, too?"

Amanda nodded and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she rubbed her middle for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning.

"Talk to me." Nick urged.

"Do you know if twins run in your family?" she asked him.

"I—what? _Twins?"_

Amanda nodded. "There aren't any on either side of mine… so far as I know."

"Actually, my grandmother, Mercedes, she was a triplet."

"A _tr-triplet?"_

Nick nodded. "She was in the middle, and she had an identical sister called Quinta. Their brother was called Gregorio, after their father."

"And multiples often skip a generation." Amanda rubbed her temples as more things fell into place in her head. "Oh, my God…"

Nick finally realized where Amanda was going with her line of questioning and ever-so-carefully put a hand to his love's middle. When she arched her back in response to her touch, he put his other hand on the small of her back and caressed it lovingly.

"Are you thinking there's more than one in there?"

"Uh-huh, and it would certainly account for my fast weight gain because there is no freaking way I should be showing like this right now, especially since I've never even had a pregnancy scare before. On a second note, more than one baby growing in my belly right now would absolutely account for why a dress I bought two days ago is all a sudden incredibly snug."

Wisely choosing not to make a comment about Amanda's weight or (new) body size, Nick asked her, "When is your next doctor's appointment?"

"In three weeks. Would multiples be a welcome thing?"

Nick nodded and immediately kissed her before planting a few kisses over her middle before getting to his feet and pulling Amanda to hers.

"Oh, absolutely, and if there _is_ more than one baby in there, that'll give us a very good reason to look at bigger places even _sooner."_

Amanda actually smiled at that and hugged him. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better."

Nick returned the hug and kissed Amanda on the top of her head.

The two stayed like that for a moment, just happy to be with each other as they thought of the life (or lives) growing inside Amanda's womb, and just how excited they were to be parents.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard an impatient bark from Frannie Mae in the other room, reminding her humans to get back to reality so they could go already.

For as long as Amanda and Nick had been dating, they'd agreed that Frannie Mae was their four-legged baby and they spoiled her quite rotten as a result. Neither Amanda nor Nick had ever openly talked about would it be like if they had an actual human baby (or two) factored into the equation alongside Frannie Mae, but judging by the way things were going already, things were going to be perfectly fine.

* * *

Because there were going to be two small children at the picnic, and because the adults didn't want to run the risk of the children turning on them, it had been decided ahead of time that they were going to have their picnic at one of the designated eating areas adjacent to one of Central Park's many playgrounds.

Nick and Amanda were the first to arrive, with platters of sandwiches and veggie slices that they'd made and arranged as their contribution to the meal. They brought a tablecloth, too. Olivia and Noah arrived not long after them, and while Olivia supplied the drinks and ice in her wheeled cooler, Noah supplied an incredible amount of enthusiasm at the sight of Amanda and Nick (they were his godparents, after all), but the second Olivia set him on the ground, he made a beeline for Frannie Mae. He loved that dog.

Bedelia and Maggie Blue arrived about ten minutes later, bearing dessert, cups, plates, and cutlery. After Amanda showed her mother and sister where to put everything on the tabletop, she realized that she was at the most nerve-wracking part of the event.

"Mom," Amanda said, leading her by the hand over to the others and indicating each person in turn as she spoke. "This is my colleague and my love, Nick Amaro, and my boss and second mother, Olivia Benson. Over there with Maggie Blue and my dog, Frannie Mae, is Olivia's boy—and mine and Nick's godbaby—Noah."

Bedelia shook hands with Nick and Olivia, immediately charmed by them.

"Well, I am very pleased to meet you both," Bedelia chirped as she eased her pregnant self into the nearest empty spot, next to Olivia. "And I am even more pleased to see who it is that's been that's been looking after my firstborn for the past four years."

Nick fumbled for a reply, but Olivia came to his rescue.

"Amanda is a joy, and she's as good as a daughter to me now, and I couldn't ask for better or sweeter." she chirped. "Why don't you tell us about yourself, Bedelia?"

She did just that, although at some point down the line, the course of the conversation changed tracks to her telling a particularly embarrassing childhood story about Amanda. Maybe it was because they were only thirteen years apart and had technically been children at the same time, but Amanda turned red faster than most adult children embarrassed by their mothers would, and promptly excused herself, deciding to go play with her sister, her godson, and her dog. Nick followed suit when he heard Maggie Blue calling sweetly for him, in her high-pitched little girl southern twang, even addressing him as 'Uncle Nick.' He was powerless to resist.

"That's got all of the children and even the dog settled." Bedelia chuckled. "I never thought I'd say something like _that."_

"Life is unpredictable when you have children." Olivia mused. "I only have _one_ of my own, but I also inherited a whole squad when my captain retired a few years ago, so now it's more like I have more kids than I know what to do with."

"I've got _four_ kids, and I love them _all…_ even Kimberly Paige, my little black sheep."

"A mother's love knows no bounds, even if things get rocky." Olivia agreed, thinking of Serena and how much she had loved her, even when she couldn't say it. "Believe me, I know that firsthand."

Things were quiet for a beat as the two mothers watched the others play while they both built castles in the air over the realization that even though they'd just met and that it was in no uncertain terms, they had a family together. They were bonded now. For good.

Bedelia spoke again, looking directly at Olivia. "I would like to apologize for all of the bad things that Kimberly Paige put you, Amanda, and the rest of the squad through during her visits."

"Oh."

Olivia hadn't seriously thought about Kim Rollins, past the recent conversation she'd had with Amanda concerning the Rollins clan, or even the trail of chaos that she'd left in her wake for quite sometime.

"That's all water under the bridge."

"Be that as it may, I still want to say sorry because I wasn't in a good place with her or Amanda either time, and I'm working on making amends now… well, where I can—I still have no idea where Kimberly Paige went, but if I did, I'd try with her, too." Bedelia sighed heavily, like she was trying not to cry. "And since you've been a mother to Amanda when I didn't have it in me, I wanted to make sure you at least heard it."

Heart immediately filling up with affection for the younger woman and understanding where Amanda had gotten her determined, yet endearing nature from, Olivia smiled kindly at Bedelia.

"Apology accepted." she held a hand out to her. "Friends?"

Bedelia perked up at the offer and shook her hand. "Friends."

The two settled into a comfortable silence, although now that they were were both excited about their newfound friendship, the quiet really didn't last that long at all, with Olivia breaking it first.

"Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

"How long have you been in the police force?"

Olivia laughed as she thought about the exact number. "Altogether? Thirty-three years now because I applied to the Academy when I was eighteen and got in on early admissions. I've been a cop for my entire adult life."

"Are your parents proud?" Bedelia wanted to know.

"I never knew my dad, and my mom was always too drunk or absent to care until I joined the SVU in 1999 because she started to have a change of heart. She was really proud of me before she died, though, and knowing that has gotten me through some of my darkest times."

Bedelia patted Olivia's hand in a motherly way. "Like you said, a mother's love knows no bounds, no matter what, and allow me to add to it: everything about being a mother is a labor of love… even the ability _to_ love, no matter how ill or how fine the relationship is."

"I'll remember that."

Bedelia asked a different question before things got too heavy. "How long have you lived in New York City?"

"My entire life, and it gets crazy sometimes, but I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, especially now that Noah came into my life—he's my guy."

Bedelia picked up on the subtext very easily. "He's adopted?"

"Mhm. The opportunity to be his mother came knocking when I least expected it, but I'm so glad it happened. Being a mother is the best feeling in the world."

"I can't argue with you there." Bedelia gave her big baby bump a tickle when she felt her son lazily kick her in the side. "Are you married, Olivia?"

"No. I was engaged another lifetime ago, but things fell through. In hindsight, I'm thankful that that didn't happen."

Bedelia raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I have a girlfriend now, and I love her more than I've ever loved _anyone_ like that. I'm going to propose to her in a month on her birthday."

"Isn't that sweet? How long have you two been together?"

"Her birthday makes a year, actually, although we've been keeping things quiet because we've been through more than any two people should have to go through together, especially when it comes to being separated. That being said, though, we've been best friends since 2000."

Bedelia smiled, although she became sad. "When you have something that special and that beautiful, you fight like hell to make it work; you understand me?"

Wondering what had suddenly gotten into her new friend, and if she should be legitimately concerned, Olivia nodded.

"Yes, Bedelia. I understand."

"Good girl. It's just you, me, and the Blessed Lord who know that I lost that chance for myself a long time ago."

"You okay?"

Bedelia looked at Olivia, sizing her up. "Amanda-June is important to you?"

In one hundred percent honesty that surprised even herself, Olivia answered, "I love her like she was my own."

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yes."

"I will tell you exactly what I'm doing way up north, out of my comfort zone in Loganville, but it can't be _here,_ and Amanda can't know _yet._ The truth will _crush_ her, and I want her to be happy for as long as possible. Even Maggie Blue doesn't know, but I can't begin to fathom how to tell _her_ because even though she's three and sharp as a tack, there are times when I'm certain she isn't all there, what with her being special, and all."

Olivia suddenly felt a mixture of two odd things—fear and responsibility—but she didn't waver.

"I promise I won't say anything until you want me to." Olivia said with her most heartfelt sincerity yet. "Are you free tomorrow?"

The next day was going to be Sunday.

"Yes, atually." Bedelia said, surprised by the change of tracks. "Got something in mind?"

Olivia nodded. "Yes—lunch and a mani/pedi session because every pregnant mama needs pampering at least once, and I still want to get to know you, but without 'certain distractions' hampering us."

Bedelia realized that by 'certain distractions,' Olivia really meant Amanda, Nick, Noah, and Maggie Blue, but mostly the little ones. Bedelia also realized that Olivia was both extending the hand of friendship and spoiling her.

"I'm definitely game, Olivia, but what are we to do about our pair of pint-sized 'certain distractions,' though?"

Both women glanced over at Maggie Blue and Noah to see them both laughing up a storm as Amanda and Nick took turns making Frannie Mae perform tricks—and she knew many. Maggie Blue and Noah took turns feeding her treats for every trick their four-legged friend performed right.

Olivia met Bedelia's eyes and grinned mischievously. "Amanda and Nick don't have anything work-related tomorrow, so I can think of an idea."

Bedelia caught on immediately. "I like the way you think, friend."

Right at that moment, the others came back to the table and while Frannie Mae curled up on the ground near Olivia's feet and Maggie Blue occupied herself with giving Noah a boost onto the bench, Nick and Amanda stopped short when they saw Olivia and Bedelia grinning at them like a pair of Cheshire Cats.

Nick laughed nervously. "Friends already, huh?"

Amanda, meanwhile, hung her head and sighed. "Okay, what?"

"Olivia and I are going to have Mama's Day Out tomorrow," Bedelia told them. "And Maggie Blue and Noah need minding!"

"You mean…?"

"Yep!" Olivia chimed in gleefully. "You two lovebirds get to babysit them!"


	5. Dropping The Children Off

After the park, Amanda and Nick spent the rest of the day together deciding how they would spend their Saturday entertaining a three-year-old and a one-year-old. Eventually, they came up with taking them to The Bronx Zoo. When Amanda called Olivia and Bedelia about it, they were both excited to be sending their kids to such a fun place, but they promised to have them ready and on time in the morning.

* * *

"Nick?"

"Hm?"

"What do you suppose my mom and Olivia are going to talk about on their outing?"

The couple were both completely ready for the zoo and eagerly awaiting the arrival of their guests. Unsurprisingly, Amanda's head was up in the clouds again.

"Us?" Nick suggested. "Maggie Blue and Noah, each other, who knows? Nothing that we need to worry about."

"Do you think so?"

"Yeah—one of them would have told us."

Knowing that Bedelia really was working on turning over a new leaf and that Olivia loved both her and Nick like they were her own children, Amanda found herself nodding in agreement.

"Good point."

She let out a breath and held her hand to the top right side of her slightly distended middle, giving it a soothing rub, trying to get through to her offspring below the surface.

"That's going to take some getting used to."

"What is it?" Nick asked interestedly.

"I can feel them both wiggling around in there. The doctor said I shouldn't feel kicks for quite some time, but wiggling? I can _totally_ feel that."

"You still think there's more than one?"

Amanda nodded and used her hands to show off the shape of her ever-growing midsection. "Oh, yes—an opinion like that doesn't change overnight, buddy. But what _does_ need to change is the number of articles of maternity clothing I have… and the _sizes,_ too. Wow…"

Nick wasn't sure how to respond to that, so when the doorbell finally rang, he occupied himself with distracting Frannie Mae so she didn't pounce on their visitors as Amanda opened the door to let them in. Maggie Blue and Noah were polite and greeted their hosts, but they made straight for Frannie Mae to give her hugs and kisses.

While that was happening, Amanda decided to give Bedelia a quick tour of her apartment—she had cleaned it thoroughly just for that—so that left Nick and Olivia as the last two standing.

"Bedelia and Maggie Blue are a neighborhood away from us," Olivia told Nick as they set the kids' carseats aside. "So we picked them up. Noah and Maggie Blue bonded on the way over."

Nick raised an eyebrow; he knew about the hotrod car she owned, but knew nothing of her having a fully functioning family vehicle.

"Liv, you have a car?"

"A minivan, actually, because that way, I can put Noah into his carseat without hurting myself, and the trunk space also makes it easy to carry his toys and stroller, too."

"I remember those days," Nick reminisced. "And we could have done with a van, but it didn't happen. Maybe this time around."

Now it was Olivia's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You know something I don't?"

"I would very much like to _not_ sleep on the couch tonight, so I'm going to go ahead and say no."

Olivia just laughed at him and then dug into her purse, looking for something.

"Digging for buried treasure?" Nick joked.

"Ha ha." the sergeant responded sarcastically as she pulled out a business envelope and handed it to him. "Here—spending money for your expedition."

"Olivia, we couldn't."

"You _can,_ and you _will."_ she curled his fingers over the envelope, strengthening his hold on it. "Half of it's from Bedelia, I think it would make her sad if you rejected it."

Recognizing a guilt trip when he saw it, the detective caved and tucked the envelope into the back pocket of his jeans.

"Thanks, Liv."

"You're welcome, and good call."

"What's a good call?" Amanda asked as she and Bedelia reentered the room.

"Nothing." Nick and Olivia said in unison.

Amanda and Bedelia laughed, also in unison, which was already creepy because they looked just alike. The creepy factor upped itself in Nick's book when he realized that even the Rollins women's laughs were the same.

Nick just shuddered and then glanced at the clock to make note of the time.

"Well, don't let us hold you up." He said to Olivia. "Amanda and I can take it from here."

Olivia realized what he was driving at and looked around for Noah. "Now where did my silly boy run off to?"

Olivia was used to leaving Noah with a babysitter, but it was a little harder for Bedelia because up until that point, she was used to taking Maggie Blue everywhere with her.

The parting of the ways was eventually managed, and before long, Amanda and Nick found themselves parked on the couch, each with a kid in their lap.

Neither Maggie Blue nor Noah were sad to see their mothers go, though, because they'd been told that they were getting an exciting surprise and now they were excited to see what it was.

"Bluebell, did mama or Olivia tell you where we're going today?" Amanda asked her sister.

"No." Maggie Blue said innocently as beside her, Noah shook his head.

"We're going on an adventure!"

Noah was a boy of few words, but he knew what the word adventure meant, so he sat up, showing interest as Maggie Blue reacted to that word, too.

"To where?" she asked, lighting up.

"The zoo!"

It was Noah really knew _that_ word—Olivia loved to take him to different fun places to play, and the zoo was a place they both liked.

"Zoo!" he clapped his hands in delight. "Zoo! Zoo!"

Maggie Blue was happy but nervous. "The zoo, AJ? I've never been there before…"

In an effort to ease her sister's nerves, Amanda held Maggie Blue's hands and hers and pressed kisses to her tiny fingertips. "I promise you that we can do _whatever_ you and Noah want, and that we're all going to have _so_ much fun!"

Maggie Blue's woes vanished and she flashed Amanda a happy smile before looking to Nick for some reassurance.

"Will it?" she asked.

"Yes!" he told her enthusiastically. "Do you like animals, little Blueberry?"

Positively ticked to have a nickname from her cool Uncle Nick, Maggie Blue nodded. "So much!"

"What's your favorite?"

Maggie Blue didn't have to think twice about that. _"Lions!"_

She promptly slid off Amanda's lap and pranced around the living room, pretending to be her favorite animal. Noah followed suit and even got Maggie Blue to join in pretending that Frannie Mae was a lion and that they had to catch her.

Amanda and Nick watched the pair both of them, very amused by the scene unfolding. They were also thinking, though neither would admit to the other, that this was a sign that they should really be preparing for more than one baby.

But they still had three more weeks until they'd be finding out if Amanda had been right all along.

For now, they would just enjoy the present.


	6. Olivia And Bedelia

**_Rose's Nails_**

 ** _1717 Main Street_**

 ** _Manhattan_**

 ** _12:45 PM_**

* * *

Rose's Nails was the salon that Olivia had been frequenting for years—decades, if she wanted to get technical about it—because everything about it was authentic, peaceful, and very calming. It also had services that catered specifically to pregnant mothers, meaning that while there were the usual smells that came with a nail salon, the fumes weren't at all as heavy as they were in the usual run-of-the-mill nail salons. The place was perfect to bring Bedelia to.

The two friends elected to get their nails done before their meal because Rose herself called Olivia to tell her that a client had cancelled on her at the last minute, giving them the chance to go earlier. Rose offered them the spot and they happily accepted it.

They were at the drying stations now, and while Olivia opted for dark purple for her nails—because that was her style—Bedelia opted for a metallic rainbow theme for her mani/pedi because in keeping with her theme to turn over a new leaf, she was also trying new colors out, too.

She was admiring the colors when all of a sudden, she got the giggles and put a hand on her middle, rubbing the spot where she could feel her son kicking her.

"You silly thing." Bedelia cooed to her son. "I'm hanging out with Auntie Olivia right now, but I promise you that we'll get something to eat soon."

The baby settled almost immediately and Bedelia breathed a sigh of relief before sticking her hand back under the dryer.

"That's a good boy. Thank you."

"He's wide awake, huh?" Olivia guessed with an air of amusement, as she sat at her own drying station, wiggling her fingers and toes around so they didn't go too stiff as her nails dried.

"Yes." Bedelia groaned as she felt an elbow move across the bottom of her baby bump. "I haven't been kicked or even _elbowed_ this much since I carried AJ—and she was a little _hellion_ in there."

"What about Kim and Maggie?"

"Believe it or not, Kim was relatively normal. Blue was my late bloomer, but she was very polite and gentle about it."

"All of your pregnancies were different?"

"One hundred percent. I still need to collect furniture for the baby, but after that, he can come whenever he pleases because I'm officially at the eight-and-a-half-month mark."

Olivia was impressed, but asked a question she'd been dying to know ever since Amanda had first mentioned Bedelia's pregnancy.

"How did you get from Atlanta to New York City when you're fit to pop?"

"The train. Blue was thrilled to pieces the whole seventeen hours we were on it, but I won't lie—I liked it, too, and so did the baby because the constant motion seemed to keep him calm."

Olivia couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a train for a longterm trip like what Bedelia was talking about, so she changed tracks.

"What was it like, carrying everyone else?"

"AJ came a week early and I had to have her through a c-section because I couldn't keep her inside for any longer than she was already in there, Kim was right on time, and Blue was ten days late."

Olivia jumped slightly at the last part of the statement. "You're _kidding."_

"Not in the least. She gave me the longest labor, too—fifteen hours."

"Wow. You're a braver woman than I, Bedelia Rae."

Oh, if only you knew, the blond thought. "What's your full name?"

"Olivia Ingrid Grace Benson."

"That's just beautiful. What's the story there?"

Olivia could see that Bedelia had gone down a rabbit trail, but she answered her, anyway.

"I was named after Olivia de Havilland, Ingrid Bergman, and Grace Kelly—my mother couldn't look at me for years because of how I was conceived, but not long before she died, when we were working on mending our bridges, she told me that she named me after the Old Hollywood legends not only because she loved that era, but also because she wanted me to aspire to be something great like Olivia, Ingrid, and Grace."

"That's really special." Bedelia smiled. "What I was going to say, my sweet Olivia Ingrid Grace, is that you may consider _me_ brave, for everything I've gone through with my pregnancies, but AJ told me that she looks up to you."

Olivia had suspected this of Amanda for ages but had never heard it from her. Hearing it from her mother made it even more touching.

"She does?"

"Uh-huh." Bedelia confirmed. "She never got into the specifics—you don't have to, either—but she said that you've been through things that nobody should ever have to go through, and that no matter how bad it gets, you always come out on top on account of your bravery. I'm brave, yes, but you're _braver._ AJ says she gets her bravery from you because she loves you, and because you've always been there for her."

"And every time _I_ hit bottom, she holds a hand out for me so I don't get lost. I love that girl so much, and I've never given up on her, even when she does everything she can to push me away."

Bedelia became thoughtful. "What was your mother's name?"

Olivia seldom said her mother's name aloud anymore because it made her sad, but still, she answered her.

"Serena."

"You said at the park that Serena told you before she died that she was proud of you, but something tells me that you surpassed Serena's hopes and expectations a long time ago, when you weren't even looking. Befriending my firstborn may have had something to do with it."

Olivia beamed at that, her chest swelling with pride. "Thanks, Bedelia. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"You're very welcome," Bedelia chirped. "And hearing what you said about how you've never given up on AJ, even when she wanted you to, makes moving up here completely worth it."

Olivia began to ask Bedelia if she could expound on that, but Rose arrived to check how everything was going, and when she saw that they drying process was complete, she turned the machines off, an indication that the appointment was over.

Olivia and Bedelia left the salon both pleased with how their nails had turned out, but also knowing that their conversation wasn't over just yet.

* * *

 **Russo's  
**

 **2600 Churchill Street**

 **Manhattan**

 **1:20 PM**

* * *

The two friends ended up at a nice restaurant about a block over from Central Park, and just after they placed their orders, they both received a text from Amanda with a picture of Maggie Blue and Noah, sitting on a bench together, both with new stuffed animals and both smiling for the camera. They also looked like they were having fun.

Olivia saved the picture and pocketed her phone before looking across the booth to see Bedelia doing the same thing before leaning back in her side of booth. Her hands rested on top of her big belly and the chain on her lucky hand bracelet shook at random intervals because of the force at which her son was kicking her.

Despite that, she was unperturbed. "I suppose I should tell you my story now. Can you still keep secrets, Olivia?"

"Yes. What you tell me here will stay between us."

"I don't know what AJ told you," Bedelia began. "But whatever it was, I'll be a big person and admit to it. _That being said,_ her information is almost four years out of date."

"Care to catch me up?"

"I've been around the block a few times when it comes to crazy stuff that I shouldn't have done, but for the record, I never got in trouble with drug runners, illegal moonshine distilleries, and I never even got in trouble with gambling bookies like I know AJ did. In simple terms, I was the Southern version of a gangster's moll."

"The 'Southern version of a gangster's moll'? Such a thing exists?"

"Oh, yes, and it always worked for me because my side of the family ages gracefully." Bedelia waved a hand of dismissal. "It's basically just being arm candy for whoever your man is, and there was a time—just inside five years ago—that my husband and I decided to give things another try."

Olivia chose her words carefully. "I commend you for that, but Amanda said that you and Odis Lee are separated."

"For more than twenty years now, and AJ was the one who chased him out for me because Kim was obviously too little and I was physically incapable of doing it myself at the time. When I got back together with Odis, though, AJ was already not talking to me because we'd gotten into a terrible fight, and then the next thing I knew, she was moving up here to join the SVU."

"And if I'm doing the math right, Maggie Blue made herself known to you not long after Amanda moved here?"

"Almost exactly a month later." Bedelia confirmed. "I tried to call her to tell her that she was going to be a big sister, but she wouldn't even pick up her phone. Kim knows about Blue, but I don't think she even cares because I have no idea where she is anymore and she never came back for a visit. She's never even tried to send a toy to her."

"But _Amanda_ loves Maggie Blue," Olivia gently reminded her friend. "And she loves her _deeply."_

"I'm thankful for that because it made my pregnancy and all of the years of my sweet little Blue's life worth every last tear, bit of heartache, and long hours I put into work at the local diner to save up for a new life absolutely worth it. I fell in love with her the second I realized that she was there, and I took the pregnancy as a sign to start getting clean so I could at least be the kind of mother to her that I should have been to AJ and Kim."

"Then I take it that Maggie Blue was a surprise?"

"In every sense of the word, but that's never stopped me from loving her. I started getting clean the same day I found out I was pregnant."

Bedelia became sad as she thought of the next part of the story.

"Odis Lee didn't know at all about Maggie Blue until I tried to serve him with divorce papers last month, but I kept them apart because he was going to be mad that we had another daughter—he's an old fashioned son of a gun and values having sons over having daughters."

"What happened when they _did_ meet?"

"He became so offended that he refused to sign the papers at all."

"Unbelievable."

"You're telling me, but I don't think Blue remembers anymore, even though it was last month; she _is_ bright and surprisingly funny, but her memory for certain things isn't at all on track with what it should be for a kid her age. That's just as well."

"What makes you say that?"

"Odis found out about our daughter's differences, and called her _defective._ She spent the rest of the day asking me what the word meant."

Something suddenly clicked in Olivia's brain. "You moved up here to get away from Odis Lee, and he doesn't want Maggie Blue because she's different and a girl, but he wants the baby you're carrying _now_ because it's a _boy_ and probably perfectly healthy."

"Gold star for Olivia."

"Yet, there's another thing, isn't there?"

Bedelia nodded. "AJ gets a lot of her drive and quirks from yours truly, but her tunnel vision? That's _all_ her daddy. I worked as hard as I could to get up here because I intend to stay and give my littlest children the best life possible, but since Odis hasn't signed the divorce papers and won't hear of relinquishing his paternity rights, I can't technically keep him away from them… _can_ I?"

Olivia thought briefly of Trevor Langan and how he had helped her adopt Noah. Perhaps she could get him to help Bedelia pro bono and out of court.

She was just about to propose this when she saw Bedelia look even sadder, if it was possible.

"That's not even the worst part."

"It isn't?"

"No." Bedelia said softly. "Odis has always held it over me that I got pregnant both times we tried to makes things work. What _scares_ me is that he's gotten more _violent_ than he used to be. Neither of us know where Kim is, so I don't think he'd go after her, just because, but…"

"He's got the most to gain by coming after _you."_

"Bingo, and I wouldn't past him to come up here and hurt one of us… or even try to take Blue and I back to Loganville because in the eyes of the law, we're still his family. Odis Lee is still more of a loser than I was because he's never tried to make anything of himself, but I just really don't want to go."

"Of course you don't." Olivia sympathized. "Bedelia, if or when Odis Lee shows up here, my squad and I will do _everything_ we can to make sure that you and your loved ones are safe."

Bedelia was taken aback by this. Sure, she had just poured her heart and woes out, but she had not expected Olivia to say anything like that in response.

"Really? You would _do_ that?"

"I live by a code to serve and protect people, and that definitely includes protecting and serving mothers like you, who are just trying to make a better life for themselves and their children." Olivia explained. "On top of that, you're Amanda's _mother,_ and I know that she's as interested in mending bridges as you are. If there's anything I can do to help that process along, then I will because I've recently come to realize that it's never too late for a happy ending."

By this point, Bedelia was almost trembling like a lost puppy, but only because she was overwhelmed with emotion and was now trying to maintain her composure because they were in public.

Olivia immediately moved to Bedelia's side of the booth and hugged her.

"It's okay." Olivia soothed. "Family takes care of family, and now you're part of mine, so I'm going to take care of you and yours."

"Thank you, Olivia." Bedelia managed. "Thank you."

"Any time."

They sat like that until their food came.


	7. Red Dirt Girl

**The song 'Red Dirt Girl' by music legend Emmylou Harris was my inspiration for this chapter. Except for the locations the song mentions, everything else in it fits the backstory I've always imagined for the Rollins family ;)**

* * *

 ** _25367 West 82nd Street #1A_**

 ** _Apartment of Bedelia Rollins_**

 ** _6:30 pm_**

* * *

By the end of her outing with Olivia, Bedelia gathered up the courage to tell her what she'd shared, so when Amanda received an invitation at the end of the day to accompany her mother and sister to their new home, she accepted and went.

After dinner—which Amanda insisted on making—Maggie Blue became so tired from a combination of the day's activities and then the unexpected joy and surprise of having Amanda come home with her that she fell asleep at the dinner table, her head narrowly missing her empty plate of what had been a plate of chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, and peas. She fell asleep right there at the table.

Amanda got Maggie Blue ready for bed and tucked her in while Bedelia took care of the dishes.

When everything was finally said and done, Bedelia and Amanda sat on the living room couch together.

"I really like your place, mama." Amanda told her honestly. "It's nice and homey."

"Thank you." Bedelia smiled. "It's just the right size for me, Maggie Blue, and your brother—much better than the trailer. Compared to that, _this_ is a mansion."

The trailer where they'd called home for so many years of their lives was a small place in the style of a classroom portable, although about half the size and width of one with an open floor plan. It was bad, but it had still been their home.

This new place was in a building that was located in a regular, middle class neighborhood, and it included three bedrooms, one full bathroom, a front room, a dining area, a full kitchen, and even a hallway where a washer and dryer were located. Nobody in the Rollins family had ever lived in so much space before.

There were some decorations from the trailer, Amanda noticed, but a lot of the other decorations and even the furnishings were new.

"Most of these things were donated from a local assistance program I found at a church charity fair on our first day in town, and there is even going to be an event soon where lots of baby furniture and supplies will going to be donated to all the mothers that signed up, which I did," Bedelia explained, as if reading her daughter's mind. "So your brother is almost all squared away."

"You really wanted to start over, huh?"

Bedelia nodded, remembering how Olivia had told her that it was never too late for a happy ending. "Oh, yes. Forty-eight years in that godforsaken trailer park was long enough."

"Who has our trailer, then?"

"Sold it to Sissy Lane for eight hundred bucks, but you know that family, though—they breed like they're Irish."

Amanda chuckled. "So damn true. How many kids do Sissy and Billy Ray have now?"

"Five at the moment—Junior, Buddy, Lloyd, Portia, and April, but those are just _Sissy's_ kids. You _know_ she's got three sisters and a brother that still take up residence in the park."

No matter how hard Amanda tried to forget her old life, some parts of it were just burned into her brain, allowing her to recall the names of the other Lane siblings with ease. "Hattie, Charlene, Thelma, and Beau, right?"

Bedelia nodded. "Yep, and now that I remember, Sissy is expecting again. It's another girl, and they're planning on calling her London."

"Six kids? Wow…"

Amanda stretched out her arms, wanting to alleviate the stiffness she'd been feeling.

"It isn't like Sissy is a bad person, but it's mostly people like her that made me want to get out in the first place—I didn't want to have the stigma of 'white trailer park trash' hanging over me for the rest of my life. If Sissy and Billy Ray never get out, then I hope that Junior, Buddy, Lloyd, Portia, April, and London all do. Hopefully Sissy won't hamper them."

Amanda drew shapes on her middle, thinking about how she was going to give all and any of her future children every opportunity for a great life. It was going to be a slow climb, but at long last, her family would have something notable to their name.

"What did you want me to talk about?" she asked at length.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise to be a big person about it."

"I promise."

Bedelia's words came tumbling out, and before long, she'd told Amanda the whole the story. By the time she was done, Amanda was very quiet, digesting everything.

"Amanda?" Bedelia said her daughter's name cautiously, wanting to make sure she hadn't left orbit.

The detective blew out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding as she responded to her name. "Now I love you, sweet Maggie Blue, and my little brother even more. And I can't say I blame you for wanting to at least trying to make things work after all these years because they say things get better with time, but it also _really_ burns me up that daddy was so _unkind_ to Maggie Blue! She's just the sweetest little thing—hearing devices, delays, and all…"

Amanda's voice began to waver, and it became clear that she was trying not to cry.

"I'm so sorry!" she sniffled, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hands in a very childlike manner. "I'm _so_ sorry, mama!"

Bedelida moved closer to Amanda and held one of her hands in her own. "What are you apologizing for? None of your crazy daddy's actions have _ever_ been your fault!"

"No, but if I hadn't been such a _brat_ to you over these past few years, I would have come to see Maggie Blue when she was brand new, and I would've been able to help you get out of Loganville sooner!"

"I'll admit that I'm sad you didn't know your sister when she was a baby because she loved kisses and cuddles even more than she already does, but you know her _now,_ and _that's_ what matters the most because she told that she really, _really_ loves you. As for getting out of Loganville… I think that was a task I had to do on my o—hey, hey, hey! It's okay to cry, Amanda; I promise you it is!"

Caught up in the emotion of the moment because it had been far too long since she and her mother had had this kind of conversation, Amanda was losing her composure even faster now, causing Bedelia to change tracks and become even more motherly.

"Would it be alright if I held you?"

"Yes." Amanda sniffled, her voice coming out softly. "I'd actually really like that."

Bedelia proceeded to pull Amanda as close to her as she physically could, and their pregnant middles ended up touching. Amamda rested her head on her mother's shoulder as tears fell down her face while she repeated the same thing over and over.

"I'm so sorry."

And Bedelia, full of patience and love, echoed the same response in equal measure. "I forgive you."

* * *

Neither mother nor daughter knew how long they sat together, but when Amanda broke away from Bedelia's hold, they both knew that their bond could only get better from there.

That being said, Amanda didn't vacate her mother's immediate personal space fast enough because—

 _KICK!_

"Yikes!" Amanda laughed when she felt her own brother kick her in the side.

"You may laugh," Bedelia griped, rubbing her swollen middle. "But just you wait—you'll be feeling the same thing in due time."

Bedelia pulled back her shirt to let her big belly cool off—it was the middle of the summer in New York City, and even though the AC was running, she still felt hot—and she smiled when she noticed something particularly interesting.

"AJ, he's _really_ moving around in there, but check this out!"

Bedelia pointed to the top of her middle, where they could clearly see that baby boy Rollins was indeed moving and tumbling around as best he could in the cramped confines he called home. It took a little bit of prodding from Bedelia, but Amanda soon saw what her mother had and gasped at the sight of an unfamiliar shape that was pressing up against the surface of Bedelia's skin.

"Is that a _limb?"_ Amanda asked in fascination.

"It feels more like a foot." Bedelia grunted when she felt her son kick her again. "You did this, too, but with _both_ feet, and I got detention more than once on your account."

"Tell me a story about it!"

"Once, during English class when we were having silent reading time, and I was very into my book, but it was just _way_ too quiet for your taste."

"What did I do?"

"Kick me like the sky was falling. It startled me so much that I accidentally threw my book and beaned Maggie with it. Remember her? She's Blue's namesake."

"Maggie Iris was your best friend, and she was around me more than daddy was—I don't think I could ever forget her."

"Sweet girl."

Bedelia cupped Amanda's cheek with her hand and stroked it lovingly with a thumb for a moment before continuing.

"Maggie was just confused, but the teacher thought I was trying to pick a fight, so I went out into the hallway to see if that would calm you down."

"Did it?"

"Yeah, but Maggie joined me when she finally connected the dots."

"That throwing the book was a surprise reflex and that she was in the wrong spot?"

"Uh-huh, and it took both of us to calm you down, but you were so respondant to our voices that we laughed a little too loudly for the teacher's liking. She gave us detention, but it was all worth it."

"Why?"

Bedelia winked. "It was the first time I ever felt you kick me."

Amanda grinned and started to say something in response, but stopped when Bedelia suddenly wrinkled her nose.

"Now he's just being obnoxious." she complained. "Give me your hand."

Amanda did as told and then felt her heart flutter when she felt a tiny hand press against hers. Enthralled, Amanda leaned forward and began to talk to her brother.

"Hey, little man! I'm one of your big sisters, Amanda-June, and I just want you to know what I love you so much already," (to demonstrate her sincerity, Amanda pressed a gentle kiss to the bump) "But how about chill out with all that crazy kicking, hm? How about you let mama remember what it's like to breathe regularly?"

The baby kicked again, but not as hard. It was like he was curious.

"You won't be so crazy if you a name!" Amanda gave the bump a rub. "What'll it be? Gavin? Jacob? Leon?"

The baby gave another gentle kick at the mention of the third name, and Amanda took it as a confirmation.

"Okay, so your name is Leon, but what about a middle name?"

Amanda paused, thinking.

"I know!" she said after a moment. "You're our Leon Samuel!"

And with that, sweet little Leon Samuel gave his big sister one last nudge and fell fast asleep.

With a little effort, Bedelia stood and stretched before walking around the couch towards the kitchen. When she was at the refrigerator, she stopped and looked back at Amanda, who had moved from sitting on the couch cushions to sitting on the back of it, wanting to see her mother as much as possible.

"AJ," Bedelia addressed her daughter with a kind smile. "Leon Samuel is a perfect name."

Amanda beamed, feeling proud. "Thank you!"

Bedelia's eyes flickered towards Amanda's middle. "Any particular reason that you're showing like you are?"

Amanda went from beaming to blushing as she framed the petite bump that was her middle with both hands. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yep. Cough it up."

"I think it's twins because I shouldn't be showing like this at all for my first pregnancy, and my clothes are filling out even faster than they should be." Amanda sighed. "The twin thing isn't too far off, though, because Nick told me that his grandmother was a triplet."

"Would this be a bad time to tell you that your father's mother was a twin?"

Amanda let loose a filthy swear at that, and Bedelia immediately made her way back from the kitchen. Before Amanda could even blink, Bedelia had rapped her knuckles lightly on her firstborn's head.

"Ow!" Amanda protested.

"That's a reminder to not swear in front of your babies, and if you wake your sister, _especially_ with a swear, she's yours to take care of until she falls asleep again! What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"I—what?"

"I've got chocolate or cookie dough." Bedelia returned to the refrigerator. "Did you feed Frannie Mae before you came here?"

"Nick probably did—he's too tired to go back to his own place, so he's staying at mine since it's way closer to work. I also told him not to wait up for me."

"Perfect."

Now Amanda was perplexed.

"What is happening?"

"You're staying the night, alright, sweet pea?"

Bedelia had changed the subject yet again, and that's when Amanda remembered that her mother had always had an unorthodox parenting style, so she just rolled with it.

"Okay, but I have to go to work in the morning." Amanda responded. "And I'd like the cookie dough, ice cream, please, although I _do_ have a question."

Bedelia opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jar of peach preserves, showing it to her. "Anything to do with cravings for peaches and that you want them with your ice cream?"

"Yes, actually." Amanda blushed again, although this time it was because the reality of being pregnant at the same time as her mother was finally sinking in. "Do I get the craving from you?"

"One hundred percent; I craved peaches with you, Kimberly Paige, Maggie Blue, and now Leon, but the hankering has _never_ been as strong as it is now… I should have known from that that I'm having a son…"

Amanda shook her head and laughed. "How cliché—a pair of Georgia Peaches get pregnancy cravings _for_ peaches. You can take a girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl."

"Exactly." Bedelia set the jar on the counter and set about getting the rest of the things out needed to enjoy their frozen treat. "If you park your caboose back on the couch, the TV remote should be nearby. We can watch whatever you want."

Following her mother's instructions, she found the remote, turned on the TV and began channel-surfing.

A few minutes later, Bedelia rejoined her and handed Amanda a bowl of cookie dough ice cream, topped with a nice dose of the peaches on top of the dessert. Bedelia had opted for chocolate ice cream, but she also had a spread of peaches in her bowl, too.

* * *

They only half-watched the TV program because they were more interested in imagining how many babies Amanda was carrying, and also catching up on everything that had happened in their years apart. At point, Bedelia even made Amanda wear a set of her clean maternity pajamas so she could wash clothes, allowing her to have something clean to wear.

When Amanda could now longer keep her eyes open, Bedelia switched off the TV and all but steered her daughter towards the direction of Maggie Blue's room, where a spare bed was located, ready and made up.

"Mama?" Amanda called out softly.

"Yes?"

Bedelia was at her own a door, a few away. She looked at Amanda with kind eyes.

"I love you so much," Amanda told her. "And I'm so glad we're working on mending our bridges."

"I'm glad, too." Bedelia blew her a kiss. "I love you to the moon and back, sweet pea. Sleep well."

Amanda reciprocated the blown kiss and then retreated inside her sister's room, burrowing under the blankets on her bed.

Maggie Blue lay asleep in her own bed on the other side of the room.

Amanda fell asleep listening to the sound of her sister's breathing.

It was the best sound in the world.


	8. Surprises Abounding

**To snarkmcsnark: your review made my day when I saw it, and it gave me a lot of ideas ;) thank you! xo**

* * *

Time passed, and once Amanda and Nick introduced Bedelia and Maggie Blue to the rest of their SVU family, everybody pitched in to help the pair get settled in properly at their new apartment so they could finally start adjusting to their new lives.

Nick's mother, Audrey, caught wind of the Rollins' arrival and invited them, Amanda, and Nick over to her house in Queens. She didn't even blink an eye at Bedelia's pregnancy, instead taking her under her wing and offering to be her friend and look out for her.

When Audrey found out that the grandparents Maggie Blue had back in Atlanta didn't even acknowledge her because of her differences, she decided that the little one was her newest grandbaby and even started taking Sign Language classes so she would still be able to talk to her, even when she forgot her her words.

Audrey also showered Maggie Blue with welcome-to-the-family presents in the form of shoes, clothes, and toys. As it turned out, she belonged to the church that had been throwing the charity fair Bedelia had found, and not only that, but quite by chance, she had gotten a list Bedelia had complied of items that she wanted for Maggie Blue but couldn't quite afford. Bedelia connected the dots when she saw that Maggie Blue had gotten everything on the list, but was very touched by the generosity, nonetheless.

Maggie Blue? She was just very, very happy because Audrey was the closest to a real grandparent she'd ever had.

* * *

When it came to Amanda, Audrey had also met her a few times in passing over the years and had always liked her, but once Nick told her that Amanda was the best and most loyal friend he'd ever had—especially during the divorce proceedings—she came to like her even more and hoped, wished, and prayed that the young pair would get over themselves and fall in love with each other; they deserved a happy ending together. When she found out that Amanda was expecting and they were over the moon about it, she was beside herself with joy.

* * *

Speaking of Amanda's expectant condition, it soon came time to find out whether or not she was carrying more than one baby.

* * *

"You okay, Mandy?"

Nick posed the question to his girlfriend as he watched her fidget restlessly on the examination table, the paper lining crinkling whenever she moved. In all honesty, Nick wasn't sure if Amanda was uncomfortable because she was dressed in a paper gown and had a very full bladder, or if it was merely because she had a case of the jitters. Or both.

"Yeah, I'm okay." she framed her middle with her hands and gave him a very confident smile. "I'm excited for what's about to happen, but I was thinking about my mom just now."

"Oh?"

Amanda nodded. "She's due in two days, but I had a dream about her last night."

"You did?"

"Uh-huh. It was about going to visit her and Leon in the hospital, but the dream was crowded with children."

"Care to explain?"

"You and I had twins, and they were there, but just a little older, like maybe two years old? Maggie Blue was also there, and so were a pair of little blond girls."

"Ever seen Blue's companions before?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, unfortunately. Remember how I said the dream was crowded?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Not counting your brother, you've already mentioned _five_ kids. Who else was there?"

"Zara."

"Z—"

Nick started to say his daughter's name in question but was cut off when the door opened, and the doctor, a Doctor Dennings, entered and the real part of the appointment began.

Soon flat on her back and using one hand to keep her gown back out of Dennings' way, Amanda watched as Dennings prepped her for an ultrasound and began it. Next to her, Nick was holding her free hand in both of his and pressing gentle kisses to her fingers because he was as excited as she was.

"Here's your baby!" Dennings pointed to a particular spot on the screen. "Do you see?"

Amanda and Nick did, and both of them felt their eyes filling with tears. The spot on the screen that Dennings had pointed to was their little baby, growing away, happy as a clam.

"Do multiples run in either of your families?" the doctor asked after a minute.

"Yes, actually." Amanda answered as Nick tightened his hold slightly on her hands. "My father's mother was a twin, and Nick's mother's mother was a triplet."

Dennings could help but smile in amusement. "Those are some strong genes—the baby isn't alone in there."

"Pardon?" Amanda and Nick asked in unison, both of them feeling their hearts jump.

"You two are going to be parents to _twins,_ and from the looks of it, they're going to be fraternal, which means that you stand a very good chance of having one of each!"

Amanda said nothing—though this was what she'd been suspecting for the past few weeks, hearing it confirmed suddenly made everything very real.

Nick found his voice first. "Is it too early to find out who is what?"

"No, actually." Dennings looked from one parent to the other. "Is that something both of you want?"

Again, the couple spoke in unison. "Yes."

Dennings proceeded to prob the babies with the ultrasound wand, trying to get the babies to cooperate. They did.

"Baby A is a boy."

Amanda and Nick were immediately mush.

"What about the second baby?" Amanda asked. "Another boy?"

Dennings shook her head and grinned. "It's a girl."

After that, Amanda felt like she blinked and the appointment was over.

Another blink happened, and she and Nick were arriving at work, looking for Olivia because they wanted her to be the first to know.

They also had a question for her.

Amanda knocked on her open office door. "Sarge?"

Olivia looked up at the sound of her nickname and smiled broadly when she saw who had come calling.

"Hey, you two! she came around the desk and beckoned to them. "Come on in!"

Her underlings entered, looking like a pair of excited schoolchildren, and when they opened their mouths to talk, words failed them, they were so excited to talk to Olivia.

Three, two, one, Olivia thought. And—

"We were just at the doctor's office," Amanda finally said, her words coming out in a rush. "And guess what?"

Olivia bit back a hollow laugh, and not just because her morning caffeine hadn't kicked in yet; even though it didn't seem like it, her home life had gotten very noisy lately, and today was no exception.

Alex had officially moved in recently, and though she and Olivia were keeping it on the DL, they had been trying very hard via IVF to give Noah a sibling. It worked, and Alex was twelve weeks pregnant now, but unfortunately, she was as sick as a dog most mornings and was going through a particularly bad spell today, so much so that it made her stay home.

Feeding off that, Noah had been an absolute troll to her and Olivia all morning until the babysitter arrived for him with Maggie Blue, her newest charge.

Thanks to the chaos, Olivia's brainpower for the "Guess What?" game was at zilch, but she did her best to play along.

"You guys found out what you're having?"

"Yes!" Nick chirped. "It's twins, and we're getting one of each!"

Immediately more awake at that announcement, Olivia hugged her friends and congratulated them, although a certain look in Amanda's eyes told her that the conversation wasn't over just yet.

"Okay, what else is there?"

"We were hoping, Olivia," said Amanda. "Because you're so important to us both, if you would do us the honor of becoming the twins' godmother."

Olivia loved the two people standing before her quite dearly, so hear answer was instantaneous. "Oh, of course! Of course!"

Nick and Amanda thanked her, although their happy moment was all of a sudden interrupted by a new text coming in on Amanda's phone. She almost dropped it when she saw who it was from, because it could only mean one thing.

"Who is it?" Nick and Olivia asked together.

"Audrey." was all Amanda said as she opened the message and read it.

 _[SOS] W/Bedelia at home & something on her phone scared her badly & into labor. She keeps asking for you & won't let me call 911. Hurry._

Amanda pocketed her phone and looked back at her companions.

"My mom is on labor!


	9. Leon

Olivia let Amanda go without a second thought, especially when she mentioned the part about Bedelia getting scared into labor, although she sent Nick with her to drive; the last thing they needed was to get in a wreck right now.

* * *

"I'm so glad you two are here." Audrey said as she let Amanda and Nick into the apartment. "Bedelia is in her bedroom, and whatever she saw, it scared her so badly that she isn't even speaking English anymore."

"Pardon?" asked Nick.

"I think it's _French,_ but it isn't a dialect that I recognize off the top of my head."

"My mom is from New Orleans, but from a place called Bayou Saint John, to be exact." Amanda said by means of explanation to her family. "The dialect is _Cajun_ French because that's what she grew up speaking, as well as English, even after she moved to Loganville with her parents from their shack of a houseboat _on_ the bayou when she was five. I can also speak the dialect, but that's the language that she reverts to when she's afraid."

That was all she said before heading down the hallway to Bedelia's room. The woman in question was in the middle of her bed, wearing a simple sundress, although nothing about her physical appearance was at all simple.

The poor thing was completely soaked from a mixture of sweat and her own tears, and because of that, her dress was already sticking to her body, and the hair that had escaped the confines of its ponytail was plastered to her face.

"Mama, come back to me." Amanda cooed, sitting with her and smoothing her hair out of her face. "I know you can."

Bedelia registered her firstborn's calming tone, and it relaxed her enough to speak English again. "AJ, you made it…"

"Audrey sent for me, and Olivia told Nick to come with me. Audrey also mentioned that something on your phone scared you into labor; where is it?"

"Over on the dresser. It was a text from your jackass father."

Amanda wisely bit back a chuckle at Bedelia's colorful phrasing; 'jackass' was how she'd thought of Odis Lee since she'd last seen him, when she was twelve. Hearing it from her mother was very amusing, and it also showed that both of them thought alike more than they would admit to each other.

"What does it say?"

Instead of answering, Bedelia let out a pained cry and held onto the nearest thing—Amanda's hand—and squeezed it tightly; she was having a very strong contraction. As a show of support, Amanda ignored her own pain and coached her mother through hers, wiping her face down when it was over.

"These contractions are almost right on top of each other." Bedelia gasped.

"Then talk to me while you can." Amanda encouraged as Bedelia let go of her hand. "What can Audrey, Nick and I do? Call 911?"

Bedelia shook her head. "Leon is coming very, _very_ soon—my water just has to break. Ask for them to come here so one of them can to read the text; I want you all to hear it."

Amanda called for the Amaros, and Nick got to the phone first.

"It says, _'We'll see you for the boy in a month. We just have some things to take care of.'_ It's from Odis Lee, alright."

"He _can't_ have Leon!" Bedelia insisted, shaking her head. "He _can't,_ he _can't,_ he _can't!"_

"He won't." Amanda promised. "How is Leon?"

Bedelia prodded her middle, her heart racing when she felt how rock-solid it was.

"He's in the birth canal, but he can't come out because it isn't time yet." she emitted a whimper as a ripple of pain shot through her body. "Leon is my fourth baby; you think I'd be used t—oh, God…"

All of a sudden, Bedelia felt a gush of cold liquid between her legs and when she realized what was happening, she fell back on her pillows; the long haul was about to begin.

"My water just broke!" she grimaced when she felt a tiny foot kick her. "Maggie Blue was slower than molasses when she was born; let's pray that Leon is a _touch_ faster than she was! Have any of you delivered a baby before?"

Amanda was already taking off her jacket and removing her gun from its holster and putting them on the other side of the room. "I have, and twice. I'll deliver Leon, and Nick and Audrey will help."

The Amaros got the message and hurried about the apartment, gathering different things that Amanda would need to make this a successful delivery, and not a moment too soon because when Amanda checked Bedelia's dilation, she surprised even herself with the progress report.

"Mama, you're completely dilated!"

 _"What?"_ Bedelia shrieked. "I've been in labor this _whole_ time, even when Blue was here—oh, God! She's with the sitter! What do I do about her?"

"We'll go get her later. All we need to think about is bringing my little brother into the world; can you do that?"

Bedelia was in all kinds of pain, but she wanted to see her baby boy as badly as Amanda did, so she nodded and sat up, determined. "Yes. I can do that."

"Good."

Amanda turned to Nick.

"You get behind her and hold her so she's got support."

Nick nodded and as he did what his girlfriend asked, Audrey spoke to Amanda.

"Mija, what about me?"

"You're on standby with blankets—once Leon's airway is cleared and I've cut the umbilical cord, you're going to clean him up and get him warm."

Audrey also nodded in understanding and busied herself with getting the blankets ready, so Amanda turned her attention back Bedelia and made to say something to her, but an expression of pure determination halted her in her tracks.

"AJ," Bedelia said through gritted teeth. "I have to push! _NOW!"_

* * *

It took well over an hour, but at long last, the room filled with the cries of a newborn baby.

Working quickly to clear her brother's airway so he could cry louder, Amanda held him up for Bedelia to see.

"Mama, Leon's here! He's here, and he's just perfect!"

With Nick's help, the new mother sat up and reached for her son. "Let me hold him for a minute before you cut the cord, AJ! Please!"

Amanda laid Leon on Bedelia's chest and once she saw the two meet for the first time, Amanda quickly cleaned her hands and found her phone, sending a text to Olivia.

 _I have a brother—Leon Samuel & I deliver him! He's just perfect, and I'm already in love!_

Olivia's response was quick. _I'll send help over ASAP and get Maggie, myself. & just so you know, there's a lot of cheering in my office right now; the guys and I are very excited ;) congrats, big sis. I'm so proud of you :)_

* * *

 _ **Saint Vincent's Hospital, Maternity Ward**_

 _ **West 82nd & 12th**_

 _ **Manhattan**_

 _ **10:30 am**_

* * *

Olivia showed up with Maggie Blue, just as Bedelia and Leon were getting settled into a private recovery room. Maggie Blue was elated to meet Leon, and once Amanda and Bedelia assured her that his ears weren't like hers and that they worked perfectly fine, the toddler was positively in orbit, and couldn't get enough of him.

Amanda couldn't, either, and with reason: she was only four when Kim was born, and even after that, she wouldn't acknowledge her for awhile because she'd been extremely pissed off that Kim had been born a girl; she'd wanted a brother and was let down. And then Maggie Blue was born when Amanda and Bedelia were in the middle of their falling out, so she'd missed that altogether. But Leon was here now, and their family was already mending itself.

Although… there _was_ that text from her father…

The thought of seeing Odis Lee after all these years made Amanda shudder.

* * *

"What is it?"

She and Nick were out in the hallway, watching through the big window as Olivia and Maggie Blue sat together in the corner of the room in a big rocking chair, holding Leon and no doubt telling him stories. Bedelia was in her bed, catching a nap.

Nick's voice brought her back to reality.

"My dad." Amanda confessed. "Jackass that he is, he's also a man of his word, which means that exactly one month from today, he'll show up with his companion—who is no doubt a country bumpkin tramp—and come for Leon."

"We won't let Leon get taken. We won't."

Nick planted a kiss on Amanda's forehead and hugged her as close to him as she her distended middle would allow (she was really showing now, and she couldn't exactly hug the way she used to anymore).

"Mandy, let's just focus on the present, hm? Not only did you help bring a baby into the world today, but that little guy was your _brother."_

Warmth, joy, and pride spread throughout Amanda's body as she thought about that as she looked through the window at the people in the rocking chair again.

"I have a little brother." she sighed happily. "Leon."

* * *

Later, back at the precinct, Amanda was in a daze because all she could think about was her new brother and how she couldn't wait to see him again. Fin and Carisi both congratulated her and told her that they'd already sent balloons and gift baskets to Bedelia at the hospital. Amanda thanked them, glad that she had such supportive people to call friends.

The day dragged because they didn't have any open cases, and when it was almost time to go, Amanda was passing by Olivia's office door, on her way back to her desk from the bathroom.

Olivia saw her and called to her. "Amanda?"

The detective changed course and enterd Olivia's office, trying to get her head out of the clouds, especially when she saw that her friend was all of a sudden very bouncy about something.

"Yeah, sarge?"

Olivia beckoned her to come from the doorway all the way to her desk. "I want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, and that includes Nick. Will you keep a secret?"

Taken in by the conspiratorial tone, Amanda nodded immediately. "Of course!"

"The first part is that not only is it Leon's birthday, but it's Alex's, too. She's moved in with us, now, and later tonight, I'm going to propose to her!"

Amanda gasped excitedly, but didn't say anything because she couldn't even imagine what the second part of the secret was.

"The other part is that Noah is going to be a big brother—Alex is pregnant!"

"Oh, Liv, congrats!" Amanda hugged her for a moment. "I'm so happy for you guys! Is Noah going to be finding out?"

"We're going to tell him when I get home."

Olivia paused for a moment, smiling fondly at Amanda, and it suddenly hit her how, more than ever, she loved her like a daughter.

"You've more than let me into your world, so I want to let you into a few more corners of mine."

Amanda returned the smile. "Thank you, Olivia. That means a lot to me."

Pause.

"May I hug you?"

"Of course."

And so the two friends shared a hug, both of them so thankful to have the other person in their life and thankful that there was such a thing as family.


	10. One Month Later

**_July 18th_**

 ** _2266 Azalea Street_**

 ** _Forest Hills, Queens_**

* * *

Time flew fast after Leon was born.

Of course, Bedelia loved him and mothered him, but when she had any down time, she looked into going to night school so she could get her GED to finish her high school education and look into pursuing a college one, no matter how long it took or how old she was by the end. She'd never graduated high school because Kim was born in her junior year, forcing her to drop out of school and get a job to take care of her children since her parents were no help, and Odis Lee had been off doing his own thing at the time.

As for Maggie Blue, she and Noah were the best of friends now, and she was even being looked after by his nanny, too… although in another month, Bedelia would be replacing Chloe as the kids' nanny because Chloe was going to be going on a trip with Habitat For Humanity to The Philippines before moving out west to California, where she'd be starting school at UCLA in the fall.

Maggie Blue was also quite smitten with her new brother, but she also was a little jealous that she was no longer the center of her mother's world, but to rectify that and to give Bedelia time bond with Leon, Maggie Blue spent a lot of time with Amanda and Nick, both of whom were happy to have her and spoil her, claiming that it was a practice run for when their twins were born.

For once in Amanda's life, everything was normal.

* * *

Speaking of Amanda, now that hers and Nick's family was expanding, they had moved from Manhattan out to Queens and were now living in an actual house that would be big enough for their their whole family, and with room to spare. It was in a nice family neighborhood with friendly neighbors and good parks and schools nearby—everything the couple wanted for their family.

* * *

"Woah!"

Amanda was woken from her sleep with a start, and she had no idea why.

When she looked at the clock on her bedside table, though, she scrambled to disable it because it was about to go off within the next three minutes, as it was.

That sudden movement caused the twins to wake up and wiggle around; they weren't big enough to kick yet, but if anything, they hated being woken up from sleep.

"Okay, babies." Amanda looked down at her fifteen-week belly and rubbed soothing circles on it. "I'm sorry about waking you up. I am."

The blonde's offspring began to settle at the same time that Nick began to stir.

"Talking to Baby Bear and Ladybug?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah." Amanda leaned over and rubbed her love's shoulder, hoping to ease him awake because he was not a morning person. "Remind me how they got those names."

"Blueberry." Nick mumbled around a yawn.

'Blueberry' was his pet name for Maggie Blue.

"Huh." Amanda remarked. "So the twins are nicknamed Baby Bear and Ladybug, but you call my sister Blueberry, and to me, she's Bluebell. Mama and Audrey _both_ call her Blue. Sweet Leon gets called Leo by… everyone."

"What's your point?"

"The kids in our family get called so many different names that Maggie Blue might forget her name by the time she turns three, and the twins and Leon might never know theirs."

"Is this your way of saying we need to start getting baby name books?"

"Uh-huh."

"What about…?"

Nick fell back asleep in mid-sentence; he was worn out. Yesterday, they'd bought a new bookshelf because one of the ones they'd had before broke during the move. It needed to be assembled, so Nick did that part, while Amanda read the instructions to him, acting as his voice of reason so he didn't flip out from frustration. The shelf was completed and put into the corner where they needed it, but in the end, Amanda and Nick were both so tired that they ordered a pizza and called it a night by nine-thirty.

Deciding to be playful, Amanda moved her hand further down Nick's body to his boxers and cupped his morning wood in her hand, giving the very edge a small swipe with the pad of her thumb.

That got Nick's attention immediately and his hands flew straight to his groin; Amanda was his own personal minx and had a hold on his body, no matter what time of day it was, and he'd just gone from zero to one hundred in .02 seconds _because_ ofthat hold. Amanda's minxish ways were probably how she'd gotten pregnant in the first place.

"I'm awake!" cried Nick. "I'm _totally_ awake!"

"That's what I thought." Amanda smirked as she planted a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. "I'm going to go walk the dog, and that should give you enough time to get yourself back in working order and make breakfast."

"Why am _I_ making breakfast?"

"Because I made it yesterday." she gave him one last kiss. "Now come on—we still have a schedule to keep on schedule so we aren't late for work!"

* * *

After Amanda came in from taking Frannie Mae to the park just down the road and let her pet off her leash, her phone chirped at her, indicating a new text.

It was from Olivia.

 _We just got out of the doctor's office and found out that your godchild is a girl!_

Amanda let out a happy squeal and responded immediately. _I'm so happy :D Congrats! Does she have a name yet?_

 _Rachel Serena, after our mothers. And yes, you can tell Nick ;) see you later_

Amanda pocketed her phone, and once she hung up her jacket and out her phone away, she joined a fully-dressed Nick at the table, to see that he'd set out two plates of scrambled eggs and toast, as well as two glasses of orange juice.

"What was that squeal about that you made just now?" Nick asked as he picked up his utensils and used them to eat. "Something about Liv's and Alex's baby?"

Ever since the older couple had asked the younger one to be their youngest child's godparents, Nick and Amanda were just as invested in learning things about that child as they were about their own.

"They're expecting a girl!" Amanda chirped.

Nick actually cheered because he'd secretly had his fingers crossed for that outcome. "That's awesome! Does she have a name yet?"

"Rachel Serena, after their mothers."

"That's already adorable." Nick said and then shot his girlfriend a sly grin. "Mandy, I still haven't let go of the baby name book thing from earlier."

"But we've got _ages_ yet!" Amanda complained.

"And we also can't call the kids Baby Bear and Ladybug forever."

"Okay, good point. What are the parameters we agreed on, again?"

"Hispanic names are not off the table, although they'll probably end up as middle names; we're not naming baby boy after me because I was named after my dad, and he's a whackjob; and no double-barrel names, like what your family has."

"Right." Amanda said, remembering now. "What about, for whichever twin comes last, we give them a name that starts with g or z, so as to round things off?"

"Because of Gil and Zara?"

Amanda nodded and reached across the table, taking his hand in her. "I miss them, too."

"I love that idea." he told her. "It sounds perfect."

Amanda just beamed; Nick had already more than thrown himself one hundred percent into understanding the language quirks and traditions of southern culture that she'd grown up with, and he even loved her, through all of the family drama and baggage she that she had going on. But now, she was returning the favor and doing the same because she loved him as much as he loved her.

And even though neither Amanda nor Nick had said it to each other yet, they both knew that no matter what happened, they were going to be with each other for the rest of their lives.

* * *

 _ **16th Precinct  
**_

 _ **178 North Street**_

 _ **Manhattan**_

 _ **7:45 am**_

* * *

On most mornings, Olivia walked through the front doors of her precinct building at a quarter to eight.

This morning however, because Noah was with the babysitter earlier than usual so they could get to the OB appointment on time, she and Alex were both running ahead of schedule.

That luxury allowed Olivia to drop Alex off at her office building and for Olivia herself to walk into the actual bullpen at seven forty-five.

Today her head was up in the clouds, though, and not just because she and Alex had seen baby Rachel…

No, today marked exactly one month since Leon's birth, which also meant that before the day was out, Odis Lee was going to strike, and be in the company of a companion.

Olivia was ready to put Bedelia, Maggie Blue, Leon, and even Amanda somewhere safe, but to do that, she had to wait for Odis Lee to make the first move because otherwise, that would be a preemptive strike, and if he was the one in the Rollins clan with the most screws loose, a preemptive strike would be a very bad way start this (she hated to use the word) _war._

* * *

The bullpen was totally empty because the night shift was always gone before she came in. That was also part of her normal routine.

What set this morning _apart_ from all the others, though, was the sound of a small voice calling her name.

"Olivia, Olivia, Olivia!"

The woman question barely had time to set her bag and coffee mug on the nearest desk when she felt a small body collide with hers and a small pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist.

It took a little effort, but Olivia unwrapped the child's arms and knelt down to get a look at who her visitor was. Olivia received a little bit of a shock.

 _"Zara?"_

Sure enough, eight-year-old Zara Amaro was standing before her, dressed for traveling and tear-stained. Olivia was very confused, but she still tapped into 'mother hen' mode.

"Baby," Olivia wiped Zara's tears. "What are you _doing_ here? _How_ did you _get_ here?"

"Mama had to go back to Kandahar for an emergency, so one of her buddies brought me here on the way to the place where she works. It has the name of a shape, but I don't remember it…"

Olivia's eyes widened. "You mean The _Pentagon?"_

Zara nodded. "Uh-huh, and she gave me a letter to give to daddy, but she had to go…"

Olivia held Zara's hand when it looked like she was about to cry. "Stay with me, sweet pea—do you remember the name of the person who dropped you off?"

"Staff Sergeant Ryker, but I think her _name_ is Ivy." Zara looked around the bullpen, realizing for the first time that it was empty. "Have you seen daddy or Mandy?"

"They're not here yet, but I'll text your daddy and Mandy so they can get here faster."

"Okay, but can I show you something first?"

Olivia hesitated, trying to figure out what was left, but then Zara wiped her tears with the back of her hand and held her other hand out to her friend.

"Come with me? Please?"

Only because her curiosity was getting the better of her and that Zara wouldn't put off getting her dad or Amanda to come faster to her unless it was important, Olivia stood and gave her her hand.

"Okay, show me."

Zara led Olivia to the break room and pointed to the couch, and Olivia promptly received another shock: two little blond girls—identical twins—dressed in matching tutu dresses and ballet flats were fast asleep, with a blanket cast over them. Olivia didn't miss that both of them had hearing aides.

Nearby was a backpack and luggage that Olivia presumed to be Zara's, but next to those were smaller backpacks and smaller suitcases that belonged to the twins. There were even two jean jackets draped over the smaller luggage.

Olivia spoke softly to Zara, not wanting to wake the little ones up. "Zara, whose little girls are those?"

Zara shrugged. "I don't know. They were already here when I got here, but I didn't see them until after Miss Ivy left. I even got them to fall asleep 'cause they could barely keep their eyes open."

"Good girl." Olivia praised. "Before they fell asleep, did they tell you their names?"

Zara shook her head. "They have hearing thingies, but they still can't talk well. Their names are on their jackets, though."

"Could you read them?"

"Lilyjoy and Rubyjane," Zara cast a glance over at the twins. "But Olivia, is it me, or do they look like _Mandy?"_

Olivia raised her eyebrows at this and reexamined Lilyjoy and Rubyjane. Zara was correct: both little girls bore a striking resemblance to the feisty southern belle, but Olivia knew that until now, Amanda had never been pregnant before and wouldn't certainly never lie about it, so they couldn't be hers.

They couldn't be Bedelia's either because she wouldn't have been able to keep three small children and a pregnancy under the radar. Plus, Lilyjoy and Rubyjane both looked older by Maggie Blue… although not by much.

Then as Olivia thought about it, she saw Lilyjoy and Rubyjane looked like someone she hadn't seen in three years.

 _Kim!_

Odis Lee had made the first move, and not only that, but his own daughter was the other half of the 'we' he had mentioned last month.

War had started.


	11. A Long Day

_DING!_

"Whose phone is that?" Nick asked as he and Amanda entered the station-house.

"Mine." Amanda answered, already reaching for the mobile device in her pocket. "I felt it vibrate, and your phone isn't on vibrate."

Despite the drive out from Queens, the couple had made it to work early, and just as they got to the elevator and pressed the up button on the button panel, but before Amanda could see who the text was from, they were joined by Fin and Carisi, who came hurrying over, wanting to catch a ride with the other two.

Amanda raised an eyebrow at them. "Why are you guys here early?"

"I have noisy, obnoxious neighbors." groaned Fin. "I couldn't get away _sooner."_

"And I was at the gym for two hours just now." Carisi said casually.

Nobody had anything to say to that because while Carisi often came across as the 'group dweeb,' he was deceptively strong, but didn't talk about working out that much because they all knew he did it regularly and could easily bench press over two hundred pounds on any given day.

They all made small talk with each other quickly, though, but it wasn't until the lift began ascending to the fifth floor when the sex crimes division was that Amanda had remembered she had an unread text.

It was from Olivia. _I need you and Nick up here, pronto!_

In response, Amanda sent, _Just saw this. I'm in the lift with the boys._

 _Good. I actually need all of you to come straight to the break room._

 _I'll tell them. See you in a few._

"Amanda?" Carisi said his friend's name cautiously when he saw the expression on her face change quickly as she put her phone away. "Who was that?"

"Sarge wants us to meet her in the break room before go to our desks."

Finally at the fifth floor, the lift doors opened and they all piled out, heading for the squad room as Fin asked her, "Did she say why?"

"No, but she gave the impression that it's very urgent."

When Amanda and her posse arrived at the break room, Olivia barred them from going inside by standing in the doorway.

"I need all of you to be one hundred percent calm when you come in." she told them. "Promise me you'll all be calm."

"We promise." Amanda responded as the others quickly nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. The last thing we need is for them to get spooked."

"I beg your pardon, Sarge?"

Olivia sighed and stood to the side. "Calm is the key. _Please_ remember that."

Calm was very hard for Amanda and her posse to be, especially for her and Nick when they entered and saw the other occupants of the room.

Zara was perched on the couch, telling two little sleepy-eyed identical toddlers a story, and she was currently so wrapped up in the story that none of them noticed their new company.

That afforded Amanda a chance to look at the littler girls. They were both dressed for the summer weather and even had luggage nearby, but everything about their appearance, despite cute matching outfits told the detective that the little girls had both been through a lot in their short lives and that they (and their clothes and shoes) had seen better days.

Amanda also felt her stomach do a somersault because she immediately saw a resemblance between the little girls and Kim.

"Oh, my god…" she said softly.

The twins heard her, but they took one look at Amanda and let out cries of legitimate fear, mistaking her for their mother and actually slid off the couch and hid behind it.

Zara, on the other hand, when she looked up, she burst into tears of joy at the sight of her father and Amanda because she had no words in her eight-year-old heart to describe just how much she loved both of them equally. She also cried because she was hungry and jet-lagged; according to her body clock, it was still yesterday for her, and now that her father and Amanda had shown up, she felt that she didn't have to be a little mommy to Lilyjoy and Rubyjane anymore. She could be herself.

Although very confused, Nick rushed to his daughter and pulled her into his lap, hugging her and giving her kisses, happy to see her and wanting to make her happy.

Amanda hung back, though, and turned to Olivia, who was leaning against the doorframe. Fin and Carisi turned to her, too, just as knowledge-thirsty as their blond colleague.

"Sarge," Amanda spoke to Olivia. _"What_ is happening?"

She explained the situation as it was, even including the part about the twins' names being on their jackets.

"Did Zara tell you what their names are?" Fin wanted to know.

"Lilyjoy and Rubyjane, but she doesn't quite remember who belongs to what name."

Amanda hung her head and sighed. "Lilyjoy and Rubyjane already look just like my sister did at that age, but Kim told me when we were little that if she ever had girls, she'd name them Lily and Ruby because those a names 'worthy of a princess.' Looks like she got what she wanted—shocker—and even added southern flair on."

"The way that Lily and Ruby ran from you though," Carisi mused. "That must mean—"

Amanda cut him off sharply. _"You_ can't say anything because you weren't here the last two times Kim showed up."

Taken aback by the manner of Amanda's tone, especially because Olivia wasn't stopping her, Carisi decided to choose his words carefully."Is she mentally unstable, or something?"

"Yes, and that's the _least_ of her problems because she's _dangerous_ , too, and has _no_ business having children of her own, even though she's _always_ wanted to be a mom."

"But as 'off-kilter' as she is, she wouldn't hurt them?"

"Never. Something traumatic has obviously happened to my nieces, but that would be my dad's doing… just like abandoning them at a station-house is."

Olivia stepped forward a little when she saw Amanda was a few short steps from losing it and spoke gently to her.

"Amanda, leaving them here is a _good_ thing, though—a police station is one of the safe places to surrender a child."

"That's true, but for it to be _completely_ legal, the parent has to be the one to do it. I'm so not surprised that Kim lied about being pregnant during her last visit now, but if she willingly abandoned two babies that she more than likely wanted, then this has to mean that a few more screws came loose in her head, or that she can't afford them… or both…"

Amanda's bottom lip trembled even more as a new thought struck her.

"What is my _mom_ going to say? The whole family is in town now, and she even has two new grandbabies."

Amanda took a few steadying breaths.

"I haven't seen my dad since I was twelve, and I was chasing him away with a shotgun; I don't know what I'd do if I saw him now… I think I need to sit down…"

Olivia quickly helped Amanda to sit down on the couch with Nick and Zara, even opening a new bottle of water from the fridge and giving it to her to drink.

Satisfied that Amanda would be in good hands with Nick, Olivia left the room with the others; she and Fin had to catch Carisi up on a few things.

"Mandy?"

Amanda turned at the sound of her name and saw Zara leaning over to her, wanting to hug her. There was no way that she had the willpower to resist Zara, so she took her into her lap.

"How are you doing, my little beauty?" she asked her after a hug.

"Sad 'cause I got left here and 'cause mama had to go to war, but I like New York better than California, anyway."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

Zara nodded. "Yep—daddy's here, and so are you and abuelita, Olivia, your other friends, _and_ Lily and Ruby!"

The little girl didn't mention the babies in Amanda's belly, so she clearly didn't know about the pregnancy. Amanda was tempted to tell her, but refrained, realizing that she had to prioritize the immediate situation.

"Speaking of our new friends," Amanda told Zara. "Olivia said that they seem to trust you; why don't you see if you can get them to come out from behind the couch?"

Zara had her doubts because because of how they'd freaked out earlier, but still, she did as asked, kneeling down by the twins' hiding spot.

"Come on, babies!" cooed Zara, holding her hands out, beckoning to her pint-sized friends. "Come on, babies! It's okay!"

It took a few moments, but Lilyjoy and Rubyjane emerged, each holding on to one of Zara's hands the moment they reached her.

When Zara brought them closer, Amanda that her nieces were in fact mini carbon copies of Kim, and it felt a little disconcerting because it was further proof that the genes ran very deep and strong in her family. Amanda's heart heart even sank a little when she noticed that they both had hearing aids, just like Maggie Blue did—hearing problems could also be also be a contributing factor to them being abandoned. It also made her wonder, just for a second, if either of the babies in her belly would be born different, like her nieces and her baby sister.

"That's my daddy; his name is Nick," Zara explained to the twins, pointing to her father before indicating Amanda. "And that's his friend Mandy. They're the police, and they'll help take care you!"

Lilyjoy seemed convinced, so she let go of Zara's hand and approached Amanda, speaking and signing as she went. There was even an undeniable southern twang to her voice, amping up her cuteness factor by twelve.

"You're a friend?"

Having learned American Sign Language now that Maggie Blue was in her life, Amanda signed as she answered her. "Yes; I'm your auntie. Are you my sweet Lilyjoy or my sweet Rubyjane?"

"Lilyjoy."

"Is it okay if I call you Lily?"

She nodded and held her arms out to Amanda. "Hold me?"

"Sure, Lily. Come here."

Amanda picked Lilyjoy up with ease and when the little one snuggled against her, she pressed a kiss to her temple, becoming surprised when she noticed that she was unusually warm.

As if reading her mind, Lilyjoy mumbled, "My head hurts and I'm _way_ hungry."

Before Amanda, or even Nick had a chance to say anything to that, Zara let out a surprised shriek as beside her, Rubyjane had suddenly let go of her hand and crumpled to the floor in an unceremonious heap.

She then proceeded to twitch all on her own accord as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. It was clear to the adults in the room what was happening, but Zara was totally freaked out.

"What's going on?" she cried, taking a few steps back. "Mandy, did I break Ruby? I was being so _gentle!"_

"You didn't break her, but she _is_ ill." Amanda spoke in a very calm but reassuring tone, commanding her little friend's attention. "Zara, can you look at me?"

It took some effort, but Zara tore her eyes from the convulsing toddler in front her and looked Amanda straight in the eyes but didn't say anything.

"Go run to Olivia's office, and don't stop for anything until you get there." Amanda instructed. "We really need her."

Zara nodded understandingly and shot off like a rocket while Nick got off the couch and crouched next to Rubyjane; he'd been timing her seizure the whole time.

"It's been a long time since I've seen anyone have a seizure like this, especially a kid. Rubyjane will _definitely_ be going to the hospital, but if the intensity keeps up here," Nick remarked. "One of us should get her a medical ID bracelet; maybe even for Lily, too, since they're both hard of h—well, _that's_ not good…"

Amanda looked up from trying to keep a very sleepy Lilyjoy awake. "What is it?"

"Ruby's fit is over, but she's just wet herself."

"That _really_ isn't g—oh!"

Lilyjoy hadn't been kidding around when she'd complained of being ill because her body gave out, and she fainted clean away in Amanda's arms at the precise moment that Zara came back with Olivia.

"We just got a case," the sergeant said when she saw her detectives. "And—oh, boy…"

When the scene finally caught up with her, Olivia, got on her phone and immediately called 911, requesting ambulances as she described the scene in front of her.

She still hadn't gotten a chance to tell Amanda and Nick that she had a gut feeling that the case they'd caught involved Odis Lee.

This was going to a long-ass day, and it wasn't even twelve yet.


	12. If You're Reading This

_**Saint Vincent's Hospital, Children's Wing**_

 _ **West 82nd &12th**_

 _ **Manhattan**_

 _ **9:15 am**_

* * *

Rubyjane woke from her seizure very disoriented, and when she realized that she had wet herself and that Lilyjoy had passed out, she began to cry because she was embarrassed for herself and sad that she couldn't fix her twin's misery.

The arrival of the ambulance didn't help, either, and she became positively hysterical, quieting only when she was put under a full sedation, just so they could get her on to the gurney.

When her twin came to, she was still under the effects of the anesthesia a tad, and that made her calm, but Amanda noticed quickly that the Lilyjoy was just a little _too_ calm, even when the doctor gave her a check-up.

Maybe it was just her maternal instinct coming into play, but it really concerned Amanda.

But then Olivia arrived with Zara in tow, as well as all of the luggage the precinct's trio of pint-sized visitors.

Realizing that she should stay out of the way, Zara hopped on a chair by the window of Lilyjoy's room and waved to her through it, wanting to see how she was.

Olivia stood a few feet away with her detectives, conversing in quiet tones with them.

* * *

"I made sure to bring Zara's and the twins' luggage because I thought you two would be able to find more about why they're all here, and even more about who Lily and Ruby are as people by going through their things."

"Good thinking, sarge." Nick told her.

When Amanda didn't immediately tack anything on in support, Olivia looked over at her.

"You alright, Rollins?"

"Uh-huh." she nodded. "Something just seems a little _off_ about Lily, but I don't know what it is."

"The doctor should give us a report when she's finished."

Amanda only nodded absently, so Nick asked their CO a question of his own.

"Where are Fin and Carisi?"

"Just before Zara came to get me, I was going to tell you that we caught a case involving an off-duty cop from the tenth and her friend."

Nick winced at the mention of a fallen cop. "Any details like names?"

"Lilah Malcolm, and her best friend, Zoë Hugo."

"How did they fare?" Amanda chimed in.

"Officer Malcolm passed away, but Zoë made it, although not without serious bodily violations, including a concussion." Olivia said, choosing her words carefully so Zara didn't overhear the wrong thing. "She's in recovery, and I'm going to see her after this, but I'm on extra alert because because of how the doctor told me Zoë described her attackers: 'a crazy Southern Belle sporting a tire iron,' and an 'older man who kept calling her Kimmie.' Sound like anyone you know?"

"Kim and my dad." Amanda sighed.

"Fin and Carisi are the still in The Ramble at the park with CSU, because that's where the crime scene is, and if the tenth precinct starts getting iffy about turf, I might have to call Barba." Olivia explained. "There is _one_ good thing, though—Melinda is the ME on this case, and we all know that she is the best of the best."

That was very true, and knowing that meant things would be handled very efficiently and professionally.

"That _is_ a relief."

Olivia nodded and then perked up when she saw the doctor emerge from the twins' room; this was Doctor Cook, and she worked often with the SVU, especially when children were involved. One of the things they liked about her was that she always remembered their names and ranks.

"Good morning, sergeant, detectives." she nodded to each of them in turn. "Who brought Lilyjoy and Rubyjane in?"

"Detective Amaro and I did," Amanda said. "And the twins are my nieces, but up until an hour ago, none of us knew that they even existed."

"I see. Which one of their parents is related to you?"

"Their mother—she's my little sister."

"Do you know where she is?"

"That remains to be seen because she abandoned Ruby and Lily at our precinct before anyone came in, so if nobody saw her then, she could be _anywhere_ by now."

"Do you know who their father is?"

Amanda had to bite her tongue for a second on that; Kim was a slut, and while she didn't know her exact number, she knew it was high enough that it would be impossible to guess right off the bat.

"I honestly have no idea." Amanda subconsciously rubbed her baby bump, taking time to stroke it with her thumbs when she felt her babies wiggle around. "I'm Lily's and Ruby's guardian for the time being; are my nieces alright?"

Doctor Cook shifted her weight from one foot to the other; delivering unpleasant news about children was never easy, especially to their families. Olivia immediately chose to leave to go check on Zoë, knowing that Amanda and Nick would fill her in later.

"Rubyjane should be waking from her sedation within the next twenty minutes, and when she does wake, the first thing I would advise is to give her a bath—but before you ask, there is a bathtub in the kids' bathroom."

"We can handle that."

"Good, because the real battle will be getting them to eat."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Those hearing aids they have don't come cheap because they are brand new on the market."

"Oh?"

"They're lightweight—perfect for kids." Doctor Cook elaborated. "It seems that your sister fell upon hard times financially, because while everything is in working order with the hearing aids, Lily and Ruby are underweight. They haven't been getting enough to eat, and for awhile, it looks like."

"It isn't severe, is it?"

"They're not absolutely starving, but they aren't far from malnourishment."

"Oh, my God," was all Amanda could say, instead of swearing filthily like she wanted.

Nick nodded towards the window, where Zara yet remained, playing peekaboo with Lilyjoy through the glass.

"Will the girls be able to eat?"

"Yes, but make sure they know to pace themselves, and that it's alright if they don't finish their food. Lily signed to me that she's hungry, so I'm going to go make sure that she gets food." she told Nick before turned to Amanda. "Were you watching the check-up with Lily?"

"Mhm, and I noticed that she seemed a little too laid back. Do you have any ideas why that could be?"

"I can't say for sure without seeing any of her medical records, but Lily is displaying a form of high-functioning autism. Further testing would pinpoint exactly where on the spectrum she is. We can talk about that at another time, but I'll go now and get food for Lily."

The doctor's news was a lot for Amanda to swallow, so she just nodded in thanks and watched with Nick as she left.

"Nick," Amanda said to her boyfriend when they were on their own. "Lily and Ruby now make two _more_ kids in the family now who have special needs; what if they become ours? What if these little ones," she touched her hands to her middle. "Are also different like Lily, Ruby, and Maggie all are?"

Nick planted a kiss on Amanda's forehead. "Then we'll face it together."

Amanda was comforted a great deal by that and followed Nick over to Zara, and they took turns explaining the situation to her in the least traumatizing way possible. Zara's heart broke for Lilyjoy and Rubyjane by the end of the explanation, she vowed to be good to the little girls and look out for them, just like a big sister.

Little did Zara know that she was going to _be_ one.

Lilyjoy turned and Zara came to adore each other, forming a bond of trust almost immediately. When the food came, Lilyjoy got frustrated with herself because her hunger was making her clumsy, and instead of asking for Amanda to help, she asked Zara. Flattered, she helped new friend and was very patient about it.

Rubyjane, she slept on.

That gave Amanda and Nick time to sort through the kids' belongings, hoping to find clues as to why they were all in the Empire State.

Amanda didn't have to look far because she picked up Lilyjoy's backpack and when she opened it, she found a manila folder with her name on it. When she opened the folder, the first thing she found was a handwritten letter, also addressed to her.

The familiar, untidy handwriting told her that it was from her sister.

 _Dear AJ,_

 _If you're reading this, then you've encountered my girls, Lilyjoy Amelia and Rubyjane Clara. They are the best accomplishments of my life, but I can't keep them because I've run out of money._

 _Lily and Ruby were both born almost entirely deaf, and it wasn't until a month ago that I was able to afford a set of hearing aids for both of them. Daddy even helped, but like I said, I'm broke now because the operations drained me of my money. If I had to, I would do it all again._

 _Since I have no money, I'm going to stick with daddy, because he offered, and it's better than being in a shelter. I won't ask to stay with you because I don't want you to get into trouble, and I won't go to see mama because it feels like I failed as a daughter. There is also no stinking way that I'd ever go back to Georgia. Ever._

 _Lily and Ruby have always known how to talk and sign because I taught them how, but they've never been hear themselves until now, so that's why they sound a little off-beat at first. They're also both a little slow and Lilyjoy is autistic, but I could never love them less._

 _I know with absolute certainty that Beau Lane is their father, but he doesn't want anything to do with either of the girls or me, and I'm perfectly fine with that. We both know that Beau's parents both kicked the bucket years ago and that it's Beau, Hattie, Charlene, and Thelma left, but don't worry, none of Beau's idiot sisters or even his wife will come knocking because_ _the Lanes are bigger losers than I am. Lily and Ruby wouldn't be able to get a proper education if we kept hanging around them. The girls need to do something good with their lives, just like you did with yours._

 _This is the part where I say why I'm writing to you: will you please include my babies in your future plans? I can't take them with me and they've had it rough, so I won't put them through anything else. The twins love each other very much, but they would probably die of broken hearts if they were ever split up. You are their last best hope._

 _I'll probably never come back to Lily and Ruby, but we've said our goodbyes. If they ever ask about me, remind them that I love them forever and that I brought them to New York City because I wanted them to have better lives than they could have had in Georgia._

 _And in case I don't see you again, then please know from the bottom of my heart that I'm sorry for every bad thing I've done to you and your friends. Please tell mama that I also love her and that I'm sorry for all I've done to her, too. Thank you if you take Lilyjoy and Rubyjane, and I love you so much. You're the best big sister anyone could ever have._

 _Love,_

 _Kim_

Amanda was in tears by the time she finished the letter, and when she turned to Nick to show it to him, she saw that he was leaning back in his chair, lost in thought with what looked like a letter from Maria in one hand.

She started to ask him about it, but got totally derailed when she heard a scared voice shriek her name all of a sudden.

"MANDY?"

Rubyjane had finally woken up, and she was feeling really scared. Amanda set her letter aside and hurried over to her niece, immediately sitting with her on the bed.

"You're okay, baby." Amanda kissed her forehead. "I'm right here, and Lilyjoy is over there."

Rubyjane followed where Amanda was pointing and signed 'I love you' to her sister, who immediately signed it back to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

When she turned back to Amanda, she became the one distracted when a smell reached her nose, causing her to wrinkle it.

"Me 'tinky, Mandy." she giggled.

She isn't wrong about that, Amanda thought as she took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. "How about we fix that by giving you a bath and getting you something to eat?"

Rubyjane like the sound of that and let Amanda carry her to the bathroom.

* * *

Downstairs, Olivia was leaving the hospital and heading back to her car, but feeling scrambled.

She'd just come from Zoë Hugo's room, and though she was recovering from a serious concussion, she was with it long enough to give a description of one of her attackers to a sketch artist, but almost right after, she experienced a sudden case of cardiac arrest and her body gave out. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

Now, as Olivia was heading out to her car, she was armed with a composite sketch of a man whom she was quite certain was Odis Lee Rollins, as well as the knowledge that Zoë's occupation had been that of postal worker, and postal workers were federal employees, meaning that harming one always came with serious consequences.

That, coupled with a dead cop, and Odis Lee and Kim were screwed, anyway.

(Unless—and Olivia almost hated to say it—Kim had something like a mental break)

Now she had to go find Bedelia to show her the sketch. Amanda wouldn't be able to ID it because she'd just freak out, plus… her memories of her father were more than twenty years out of date.

All Olivia could do was pray that the picture wouldn't make Bedelia spiral.


	13. A Day Like Today

When Olivia knocked on Bedelia's front door, Bedelia answered it promptly. She was very surprised to see her friend, but let her enter.

"Hi, Olivia." she shut the door behind her and immediately began clearing space on the couch for her. "How did you know I was going to be home? I'm not as predictable as AJ, am I?"

"It was just a lucky guess." Olivia said in amusement as she sat down, thinking of the passing mention Bedelia had made of her crazy, jam-packed daily schedule. "I'm actually relieved that I caught you here."

"This isn't a social call, is it?" Bedelia asked as she set next to her.

Olivia shook her head. "No, and Amanda is fine, but we have a case that looks like it's being spearheaded by your husband and Kim."

"Oh, my God." Bedelia paled. "They're already here?"

Olivia nodded, sighing inwardly when it suddenly occurred to her that there was no way she could mention Odis Lee's and Kim's presences in the city without telling her about Lilyjoy and Rubyjane.

"They are, and I'm ready to move Leon, Maggie Blue, and Amanda to a safe place at a moment's notice." Olivia took out the sketch from the manila folder she was carrying, but she kept it facedown. "I need to tell you something important, but I need to show you a sketch first."

"Because you want to know if it's my husband's on that paper, and Amanda-June's memories of him are scant now, huh?"

"Exactly." Olivia showed her the picture, not failing to notice how Bedelia had called her firstborn by her name. _"Is_ this Odis Lee?"

A wide range of emotions crossed Bedelia's face in a very short amount of time as she studied the picture and imagined what could have been if her life had gone a different way.

"Yeah, that's him." Bedelia sighed as she handed the picture back. "What the hell have he and Kim done, or don't I want to know?"

"You don't want to know right now."

"Okay, Olivia. I trust you." the other woman said. "What is it that you said you wanted to tell me, besides this?"

Olivia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "It's about Kim, and something _she_ did, _all_ by herself."

"Lay it on me."

And so Olivia told Bedelia as much as she knew about Lilyjoy and Rubyjane. She told her about Zara, too.

By the end, Bedelia's hands were over her heart. "It destroys my heart to hear stories of children getting abandoned because the first two times I gave birth, Odis tried to get me to give AJ and Kim away, but of course I said no."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat. "Do Amanda and Kim know that about him?"

"No, thank the Lord." Bedelia let out a sigh and moved her hands to her lap. "And poor, poor Zara—I've never met her, but all I want to do is hug her."

"Zara loves people, and she _really_ loves Amanda, so if _you_ met her, she'd be in orbit when you tell her who you are."

Bedelia actually smiled at that. _"May_ I go visit? Would that be alright?"

Olivia nodded. "The kids are going to be stuck in the hospital for awhile, so they'd totally love a visit. Just gave Amanda a head's up."

"I can do that."

"Good." Olivia stood, getting ready to go. "Thank you for your help."

Bedelia also stood, and she escorted her friend to the front door. "Anything I can do to be of more help, just let me know. Keep me in the loop?"

"Of course."

When Olivia left to go back to the precinct, Bedelia shut the door behind her again and then retrieved her phone from the kitchen table. She'd left it there, next to her gym bag.

Before Olivia had arrived, Bedelia had already been up since dawn, getting herself ready for the day, and taking care of Maggie Blue and Leon before dropping them off to the babysitter. From there, she'd gone to the gym and worked out for two hours before coming back home; true, she wanted to lose all her baby fat, but she also wanted to be in shape for when she became the nanny to the little kids at the end of the month. She'd had other plans for the day of things she'd wanted to get done while she was kid-free, mostly to keep her mind off how she remembered that today marked the day her husband said he'd show up, but calling Amanda was priority.

When her daughter answered her phone, she was a bit surprised. "Mama?"

"Olivia's just been by." Bedelia explained. "She told me that your father and your sister are in town, and that they've gotten mixed up in something crazy."

"Was Olivia specific?"

"No, because she advised that it was better if I didn't know, and that's _quite_ alright with me. She also told me about Lily, Ruby, and Zara; how are they?"

"Zara has been counting sheep on my lap for awhile now because the jetlag finally caught up with her, and Lily is hanging out with Ruby on her bed. They're both not up to par, but I think they're also both a little tired out because it's been a long morning for them. They're probably also missing Kim."

Bedelia felt sad for the little ones all over again. "Would the kids object to a visit?"

"No, actually. They could all do with some cheering up."

"Do Zara, Lily, and Ruby know that you're pregnant?"

"No." Amanda said a third time, although she laughed a little. "I'm surprised that nobody's figured it out because it isn't like I can keep my belly hidden anymore and Zara has already decided that Lily and Ruby are her babies."

Bedelia grinned at that, already in love with how adorable Zara was. "Are _you_ okay, AJ?"

"I don't know." she admitted. "This just feels like it's going to be a _very_ long day."

"I'm feeling the same way, baby girl. I'll be there in awhile."

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, mama. See you when you get here."

* * *

Because Bedelia believed in a good first impression, especially where children were concerned, she stopped at a toy store to get some cheer-up/comfort items for her all three of her new granddaughters. She found a panda for Zara, an elephant for Lilyjoy, and a leopard to give to Rubyjane. She also passed a display of brightly-colored kid-sized fleece blankets with a sign featuring a buy two, get one free deal. After some careful browsing, she found three blankets that she thought the girls would like and added them to her present stash, even making sure to get everything gift-wrapped.

* * *

As Bedelia entered the children's wing at the hospital, she had a sudden flash-forward to some time down the road where she was playing with all of her grandbabies—Lilyjoy, Rubyjane, the two babies in Amanda's belly, and even Zara. That was going to be a fun day… but they just had to get through _this_ one first.

* * *

"Anyone home?" she asked when she entered the twins' room.

Zara had since woken up from her brief nap and was now hanging out with Lilyjoy and Rubyjane, leaving Amanda free of her, so she immediately rose from her chair and hugged her mother. Nick also got in a hug, happy to see Bedelia, although it was Amanda who did most of the talking.

"Are you ready to meet them?" she asked her mother.

"Yes." Bedelia showed her the presents she'd bought. "I hope it's alright I bought them some comfort items; they'll definitely come in handy on a day like today."

"They'll be delighted. Come on."

When Amanda led Bedelia to the bed where the kids were, Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at the new person in surprise. It was no secret that the genes in the Rollins family tree were very strong, but with Bedelia and Amanda in particular, it was just downright disconcerting because Amanda looked like her mother's younger carbon copy.

"Okay." Amanda laughed. "You little munchkins can stop looking at us like that. I want you three to meet someone really special to me—this is my mama, Nana Bedelia. She came for a visit because she wants to get to know all of you."

Rubyjane remembered her manners first, signing and speaking to Bedelia as she went. "Mama's mama?"

"Yes, I am." Bedelia answered her carefully, realizing that Kim was probably going to be a sore subject with the twins. "Is that alright?"

Rubyjane gave her grandmother a nod of approval while Zara voiced a thought that had suddenly popped into her head.

"If Lily and Ruby are going to call you nana, is it okay if I call you _abuelita,_ like I do with my Abuelita Audrey?"

Flattered that Zara was unconventionally offering her friendship in such a way right off the bat, Bedelia nodded and blew her a kiss. "I would just _love_ that, sweet Zara."

The little girl made a trilling noise approval and then gave Lilyjoy a gentle nudge to see if she'd say something to Bedelia since she hadn't yet.

Instead of using her words verbally, she signed to the other two to scoot over so Bedelia could join them. When they got the message and did as asked, Lilyjoy beckoned to Bedelia to come sit and lean towards her.

She obliged and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek from Lilyjoy and a very bashful smile as she signed that she was happy to meet her.

Bedelia had been informed by Olivia of the twins' delays in speech and was all the more grateful that three years of being Maggie Blue's mother had given her plenty of practice with speaking Sign Language.

"I'm happy to meet you, too, angel." Bedelia carefully signed her words as she spoke them, wanting to do what she could to gain the little girl's trust so she'd eventually become comfortable enough to speak aloud. "Would you like to sit with me? I have presents for you, Ruby, and Zara."

Surprised but enticed, Lilyjoy nodded and crawled into Bedelia's lap. Rubyjane and Zara also gathered close, thanking Bedelia as she doled out the gifts to them.

Amanda decided that Lilyjoy would use her voice in her own time and watched for a moment as her mother brought the little ones a dose of much-needed cheer before she noticed Nick standing in the doorway of the room. When their eyes met, he motioned for her to come join him out in the hallway.

"What is it?" They were standing in front of the big picture window that Zara had been peering into earlier. "Did you get a text from Olivia?"

"No."

If that isn't, then it can only be one other thing, Amanda thought.

Easing herself into the nearest chair, she asked, "This is about Maria, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Nick heaved a sigh and sat in the chair next to hers. "It is."

Amanda had literally no idea what to expect from the part of the conversation that was about to happen because while she'd had only a smattering of interactions with Maria over the years, the two things that she'd gathered from Nick's tales of her was that on the home front, Maria was both selfish and unpredictable.

"What did her letter say?"

"That she had no choice about going back to Kandahar, but that it's just a pit stop for another assignment."

Amanda raised her eyebrows. "Where?"

"She said it's _extremely_ classified… and that if she had to be realistic about a timetable, it could take years to complete. Maria also said that she doesn't know if or when she'll come back and that Zara is in full knowledge of that."

"Poor Zara—this isn't her day, either. Did Maria relinquish her custody rights?"

"Not only that, but she also mentioned you by name."

Amanda was taken aback. "I beg your pardon? She did?"

"Yep. She said that she hopes I get a happy ending with you because the last time we saw each other, she told me that Zara had told her that you and I are best friends. Maria has also known forever that Zara adores you."

"Wow." Amanda laughed nervously. "I don't know what to say."

"Basically, Maria said she'd feel better if Zara was in the place she knows best and had two people who love each other being her parents."

"You and me?"

Nick nodded. "You ready to become a mom a bit ahead of schedule, Mandy? Zara won't say it because she's the proudest kid I know, but she's _really_ going to need you."

Amanda put her hands on her middle, smiling slightly as she felt the twins move around, but in that particulat moment, she was mostly thinking. Zara was eight now, and Amanda first met her when she was four, meaning that she'd known the little girl for the last half of her life… and _that_ probably felt like an _eternity_ to her. Amanda also loved Zara like she'd come from her own body, and that after a day like today, she was going to love her even more.

"Of course," she said, turning back to Nick with a smile on her face. "And if it comes down to it, I'll adopt her."

Nick lit up. "Really? You'd do that?"

"I absolutely would. Zara imprinted on my heart the first time I met her, and she's had a spot there ever since."

Amanda blew out a sudden breath as her children caught her off-guard by randomly going into a wiggle frenzy. Hoping to quell them, Amanda stood and began gently rocking her hips from side-to-side.

"Your daughter and son are making sure we don't forget about them." Amanda said to Nick when she saw him looking. "We're going to have a hell of a full house at home tonight, and we still have to tell those three little darlings in the next room that twin babies are going to be added to their 'at home' posse, and _that's_ going to be _before_ we introduce them to Maggie Blue and Leon."

"Quite an itinerary. Can you handle it? The thin blue line between work and home has been _obliterated_ today."

 _"Damn_ the thin blue line." Amanda smirked as she arched eyebrow at her lover in a challenging way. "Question is—can _you_ handle it?"

"Oh, yes." Nick stood and took her by the hand. "Let's just go hang out with Bedelia and the kids, alright?"

Amanda intertwined her fingers with Nick's gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Okay. Let's do that."

Both partners wanted to stay in their happy bubble—or at least protect their children—for as long as they could because they never knew when danger could strike.


	14. A Bend In The Road

Olivia struck out by mid-afternoon, looking for Odis Lee and Kim. It left her feeling disconcerted because she hadn't forgotten what Bedelia had said about her husband being a man of his word.

Even still, around four o'clock, she was admittedly bored and when she got a text from Amanda, she was excited because it a cure for the monotony.

 _We have a herd of munchkins to take home, but they don't have much to wear._

 _Really? Even will all that luggage?_ Olivia sent.

 _Everyone's things were packed in a hurry, and a lot of the things don't match, or are seasonally appropriate. Not even their shoes._

 _That's not good._

 _I became a mama ahead of schedule, but I already feel as though I failed the girls. What do I do?_

Olivia was touched that Amanda was turning to her about the topic of motherhood, so she was genuine with her next message.

 _Don't worry—I'll do some shopping for them so they have some new outfits and shoes._

There was a full five minutes of radio silence before Amanda responded with, _You_ _don't have to do that, Liv._

 _I want to, and I actually a lot of coupons to the place where we shop for Noah, and they're having a sale, too. If Alex was with me, she would be saying the same thing._

 _What about the precinct?_

 _Fin & Carisi can hold down the fort ;)_

Amanda seemed to have caved, because her next text was, _I suppose I should send you a list of what sizes the girls wear, huh?_

 _Likes & their dislikes, too. And don't worry about paying me back. Think of me as your kids' fairy godmother._

Though Olivia didn't talk about it, long before Alex 'Trust Fund Ice Queen' Cabot had blown into her life, she had always been relatively well-off because of her mother. But that was another story altogether.

 _You are the best, Olivia. Thank you for everything._

That text was followed by the lists, and once the massage came through, Olivia put her phone in lock-screen mode and got ready to go.

Fin and Carisi both saw her, and that she was in a hurry. Rather than ask her what was happening, they trusted that she'd tell them when or if it mattered.

Thankful and grateful that they were so understanding, Olivia left the Sixteenth Precinct quickly.

* * *

 _ **Gymboree  
**_

 _ **77 Houston Street**_

 _ **4:20 PM**_

* * *

The Gymboree clothing store was Olivia's and Alex's place of choice to buy clothes for Noah, so it made sense that she'd come here. That being said, in spite of the sale and the coupons, Olivia had no idea where to start looking for things that little girls would like to wear because she was very used to shopping for a boy.

"Hi, there. Do you need any help?"

Olivia turned and saw that she'd been joined by one of the store attendants, a young woman in her late twenties.

"Yes, actually." the sergeant said in relief. "My friends have suddenly found themselves parents to three little girls, and I said I'd do some shopping for them so they'd have clothes and shoes to wear, but…"

"You're unsure of how to shop for little girls?"

"Yes again, especially since my fiancée and I only have a little boy to shop for at the moment."

"Well, I can help you find everything you need. What are the girls' ages and sizes?"

The attendant's name was Amy, and she was a huge help. In what felt like no time, they had a few outfits each for Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane. Shoes, too.

Speaking of shoes, though, Olivia got distracted by a tiny pair of purple faux-buckle ballet flats. They were decorated with white polka dots, and at the end of the strap that ran atop the foot was one golden bow each. The shoes were cute, yes, but Olivia already knew that she wouldn't be leaving the shop without them. They were calling to her, almost.

"Olivia?"

Amy spoke her name in a way that made her sound curious. "Are you going to put those in your cart, too?"

Olivia glanced at the shoes in her palm before walking over and putting them in her cart.

"My fiancée, she's pregnant with our first daughter and wasn't having such a hot day today. She had to stay home, so I'm going to get these for her—they'll cheer her up."

Amy smiled. "My wife would do little things like that for me when I carried our daughter. Trust me, even a little can go a long way when your partner is pregnant."

"Thanks, Amy. I'll remember that."

And she would.

* * *

When Olivia got to the hospital room where newest version of the Rollins-Amaro clan was camped out, she found that the atmosphere was very cheerful, mostly because of the three little girls chattering happily away together on the bed near the window. They waved hello to Olivia, barely noticing when she sat the shopping bags down on the counter near the door before she sat with Amanda and Nick on the small sofa that was against the wall; they were too wrapped in the conversation they'd been having to ask about why Olivia was even there.

"Hey, you two." Olivia said to Nick and Amanda. It certainly is cheerful in here."

"We just told the girls that they're coming home with us." Nick told her. "Zara thought the girls were going to be sent away, and she was ready to fight us on it because she loves Lily and Ruby, and they really love her."

Olivia looked over at the girls' bed for a moment to see that Zara was teaching the twins how to blow kisses.

"Do they know about the babies yet?"

Amanda nodded. "Yep, and you missed it—about five minutes ago, they were all kissing my belly and telling the babies just how much they love them already."

"Noah loves to give Alex's belly kisses; I think he and Rachel will get along well." Olivia motioned towards all of the bags she'd bought. "Do the kids know I went shopping?"

"Uh-uh. Would you like to show them what you bought?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but prepare yourself to get lots of hugs and kisses." Amanda laughed. "The girls are all in that kind of mood."

Amanda was telling the truth about the girls' affection level because once she showed them all of the new treasures and explained that they were all for them, Zara led the twins in showering Olivia in an avalanche of not only hugs and kisses, but also lots of exclamations of, "Thank you, Livvie!" and "I love you, Livvie!" before Olivia could manage to hold all three of the little girls in a hug and tell them that she cared about all of them very much.

When Lilyjoy and Rubyjane were finally declared fit to leave the hospital, Olivia gave them a lift in her van since it was big enough to fit them all.

On the way back to the precinct, Olivia got a text from Fin telling her to just go home for the night because nothing was happening, and that he was happy to keep holding down the fort. Quite pleased and really wanting to see her family, Olivia kept on driving.

* * *

 _ **16 West 82nd Street, Apartment 1H  
**_

 _ **5:30 PM**_

* * *

Because Alex had been having such an off day, Olivia decided to go a few steps further with cheering her up by getting her favorite things for dinner and even dessert at the grocery story before she got home.

Alex was very surprised see Olivia home early, but pleased, nonetheless. She had greeted her at the door, baby Leon in her arms, but Olivia was also very surprised because when she'd left earlier that morning, her love had been resting in bed while the babysitter looked after Maggie Blue, Noah, and Leon.

At the moment, she was bright and sunny. Olivia tread carefully, just in case.

"Where is everybody?" She asked as she put the grocerties away. "Where's Chloe?"

"She had to go early, and since I was feeling better _and_ Noah and Maggie are both sleeping, I told her I could watch the kids until Bedelia comes."

"That was nice of you."

Olivia leaned against the kitchen counter and nodded towards Leon, who was relaxing happily in Alex's arms.

"And what? Baby boy wanted to stay with you?"

"Yeah." she smiled and then sighed. "He's a love… until I try to put him down."

"Here." Olivia held her arms out to Alex. "Let me take him, and we'll go sit. I need to catch you up on what's happened."

Alex happily handed the infant over to Olivia, her heart practically melting when she saw her give him kisses and speak soothingly to him when he voiced his displeasure at being moved. She almost melted more when Leon began to get sleepy and rest his head against Olivia's heart. She was a wonderful mother, even with children that weren't hers.

* * *

"Oh, those poor children." sighed Alex when Olivia finished filling her in on the matters concerning Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane. "They're going to be okay, right?"

Olivia nodded and then motioned with her elbow towards the tiny shoebox on the coffee table; it contained the baby shoes she'd bought.

"How about you open that present, hm? I couldn't pass them up."

Alex turned to mush as she took the shoes out of the box and set them atop her baby bump, which was now big enough to serve as a table.

"I love these shoes, Liv!" Alex told her sincerely. "Rachel is going to look so cute when she's big enough to wear them!"

"She really w—huh…"

Olivia's thoughts derailed in mid-sentence when she caught a glimpse of the time on the nearby wall clock.

Seeing the concern on the brunette's face, Alex put the baby shoes back in their box and sat up.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just that it's already six-twenty; Bedelia should have been here at six, and she's never late. Will you check my phone to see if there are any missed calls or texts from her?"

There weren't.

Both women immediately began to feel that something was wrong.

"Liv, your phone is ringing. It's Amanda."

That was from Alex, after a few moments of them trying to figure out what was happening.

"Put it on speaker and hold it so I can talk, please."

Alex did just that.

"Amanda?" Olivia said the younger woman's name in a question, although not on purpose. "I'm at home, and you're on speaker."

"Who all is in the room?"

"Me, Alex, and Leon. What's up?"

"Maybe call it instinct, but have either of you seen or heard from Bedelia? I've got a bad feeling that I can't shake. I think she's in trouble."


	15. Bedelia and Kim

**_The Lydia Motel_**

 ** _Bowery/Little Italy Border_**

 ** _6:50 pm_**

 ** _Manhattan_**

* * *

Bedelia had been through a lot in her life, and that claim was nothing to sneeze at.

That being said, being abducted was a first for her. She was just leaving her apartment to go meet Audrey for food and got as far as getting her keys out to lock the door behind her, but that was when Odis Lee appeared. He'd been waiting for her and while he didn't knock her clean out, he held a gun to her spine and threatened to shoot her if she didn't cooperate.

Bedelia had known Odis Lee for her entire life to date, meaning that she knew he would follow through on his threat, so that's how she ended up driving them to a very seedy town to an even seedier establishment called The Lydia Motel.

It was clearly a 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of place that you would only really see in a gangster movie, but she didn't pay too much attention to the detail because she was doing her best not too gag on the awful odors in the air. By the time she was led to a second story room, she was already noseblind, but everything still happned so fast that the only thing she really registered was that Kim was there, yelling at her to look out.

Odis Lee knocked Bedelia out with his gun and she fell to the floor, unconscious after that.

* * *

"Mama, wake up! I know you can!"

Bedelia registered that she on a bed and that she was being spoken to, but when she opened her eyes, she was immediately met with a splitting headache.

"Power through it, mama!" Kim encouraged, caressing her face in as gentle a way as possible. "Come on!"

Bedelia finally opened her eyes and sat up, bursting into tears at the sight of Kim, who was retreating to the other side of the small room, wanting to keep her distance. She looked worse for wear and was clearly suffering from a drug withdrawal, as evidenced by her constant scratching. Even still, Bedelia hadn't seen Kim since the early days of her pregnancy with Maggie Blue.

"Kimberly Paige?" the older woman wiped her tears. "Is that you?"

Kim nodded and began to tear up a little. "I-I didn't want to do those bad things! I didn't want that cop to die—I really _didn't!"_

Bedelia's heart sank as she realized that this was what Olivia had been talking about earlier.

Even though she, herself, was feeling scared and was desperate to distract Kim long enough to send an SOS text to Amanda, Bedelia still did her best to put on a brave front.

"Kimberly Paige Nicole, come here."

Sobering up at the sound of her mother's authoritative tone, Kim dragged herself back over to the bed. She looked a little pathetic, standing in front of her, but Bedelia willed herself to stay on point.

"Are you telling me that your daddy _killed_ someone and that you were _there?"_

Kim nodded. "He did, and when he killed her, he tried to get me to kill her friend!"

"And did you?"

Kim wiped her tears and mimicked putting a hand on a Bible. "Hand on the holy book and with God as my witness, I was there and I had a prybar, but I _didn't_ lay a hand on those ladies."

"I believe you." (Kim breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hands) "What did you do with the prybar?"

"I threw it in the river and it landed on a garbage barge."

"Seriously?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, and I got punished. Look."

She lifted up a corner of her shirt to reveal a very fresh, purpling bruise.

"He did that?"

They both knew which 'he' was in question.

"He even kicked me around earlier because I couldn't stop crying after I dropped off Lily and Ruby—have you met my babies?"

"Briefly, and they're _so_ beautiful. Why _did_ you give them up?"

"Because I don't want them to have the life I have, and AJ would be better for them. If I'd known you were here, I would have asked you to take them because you seem to be doing so much better than you were the last time we saw each other." Kim sighed heavily. "Being with him has kept me out of a homeless shelter, but I did _not_ sign up for the rest of this—no, m'am! I want _out!"_

Since coming to from her unconsciousness, Bedelia had put together that Kim was there to keep her from escaping. Kim had always been more susceptible to caving from any affection because she'd been the baby of the family for decades, and now she was clearly failing at her task after only ten minutes of talking to her own mother.

Bedelia looked out of the window, noticing that the sun was not too far away from setting. "Where is your daddy?"

"He went to get food." Kim crossed the room and hoisted open the window. "You need to get out of here."

Bedelia was really taken aback—for as long as she could remember, Kim had always been quite self-centered, and putting someone before herself just wouldn't cross her mind.

But then again… Kim _had_ given up her children so they would have a better life. She was changing.

"You're letting me go?"

Kim nodded. "You really _do_ have to go, or else…"

Her tone was ominous and it prompted Bedelia to raise an eyebrow. "He wants to do things right… as in have one last baby and not let you out of his sight; probably back… _home."_

"Kimmie, _no!_ I love you and your sisters and your brother with _all_ my heart, but I can't have _another_ baby!" Bedelia cried as she got up and joined her daughter by the window. "And I am _never_ going back to Loganville again!"

"At least I talked him down from taking my brother! What's his name?"

"Leon Samuel."

Kim pointed to the window. "Go see Leon and Maggie and AJ—there's a fire escape right outside, and it isn't that far from the sidewalk."

Bedelia studied Kim for a brief moment. As weird and as misguided as her second-oldest child was, she would always love her unconditionally and want the best of her. Kim hadn't said it, but her actions alone were proving that she was trying as hard as she could to turn over a new leaf.

"Come with me and see Lily and Ruby."

Kim shook her head, and there was a slightly upbeat in her scratching. "No—I don't want them to see me like this! Not another day!"

"Then will you at least stay in a hospital so you can get your bruises checked out?"

"But what about…?"

"You are my _child,_ and I will _protect_ you."

That was all the convincing that Kim needed. "Okay, then, but you're going out that window first."

Bedelia had no qualms against that, and before long, she and Kim had escaped out of the window and were leaving the motel behind as fast as they could.

* * *

Over in Olivia's neck of the woods, things were in panic mode—Bedelia was missing.

It was confirmed when Audrey ran Alex on her phone to ask about her. Audrey had made plans to go get an early dinner with Bedelia, but she'd never shown up.

Most people would think that Audrey was overreacting, but a) Amanda had already called, concerned about Bedelia without any prior knowledge of what was happening, b) anyone who knew Bedelia Rollins knew that when it came to social engagements, she believed in telling people if she wasn't going to make it, so if she didn't, that was immediatley enough reason to be concern, and c) it was the day that Odis Lee had said he would make his move; so if having two perviously unknown Rollins grandchildren appear at the precinct on the same day that he facilitated extreme violence against two innocent people (as well as against one of his own children) and even kidnapping his own wife at gunpoint had all been achieved in the space of less than a day, then Odis Lee was capable of anything. Literally.

For Olivia's own peace of mind, she gathered up Amanda and her siblings and Zara and Audrey, along with Alex and Noah together and put them all in a safe house that even she didn't know the location of. Bedelia's vanishing was the last straw.

The only person of her family whom she didn't send away was Nick, but that was because she needed him to help work the case with her, Fin, and Carisi, too. Even Barba had been brought in.

* * *

An investigation of Bedelia's place didn't show anything out of order, aside from the front door being ajar. They were also able to deduce that Odis Lee had been lying in wait for her, but there no signs of her keys, purse, phone, or purse, which meant that that he'd forced her to take him somewhere. It would be easier to track her whereabouts from the station.

So, there they were—Olivia, Nick, Fin, Carisi, and Barba—camped out behind closed doors in Oliva's office, working on tracking down Bedelia, containing and arresting Odis Lee, and to possibly draw out Kim because even though she was the wiliest of the Rollins clan, she'd probably be more cooperative than her father.

While all of that was happening, Carisi had been the one in charge of the BOLO he'd issued for Bedelia's car as well as tracking her phone.

"Yes!" Carisi crowed when the program finally got a hit.

"What?" Olivia, Fin, Barba, and Nick asked at the same time.

"I got a hit on Bedelia's phone, and—oh, no. This can't be good."

"Dominick…" Olivia said warningly.

Catching her drift, Carisi turned to monitor around for the others to see and pointed to the address displayed on it.

"Bedelia's phone is at The Lydia Motel."

Fan-freaking-tastic, Olivia thought as she felt the others look at her. The Lydia Motel always means trouble.


	16. Safe

By the time Olivia and the others tracked Bedelia's phone to its exact location at The Lydia Motel, Bedelia and Kim were long gone.

Even still, she, Nick, Fin, and Carisi scoured the room for details.

"Kim _has_ been here." Olivia told them after a few minutes.

"You found something?" Fin asked as they all gathered around her.

"Her bag."

"Anything useful in it?" Nick wanted to know. "I found a suitcase of hers, but it only had what you would expect it to have."

"I see odds and ends." Olivia said as she put on plastic gloves and began to rifle through it. "Bingo—found a wallet. I see a few things like discount cards, a food stamp card, and an ID card, but they all say Georgia on them."

Surmised Fin, "Which means that she must have _just_ gotten here in the last twenty-four hours with Lily and Ruby. Do you see anything like train tickets?"

Olivia found three train ticket stubs and when she looked closer at the information on them, she let out a single-noted whistle. "The price of these tickets must have really drained her."

"Is there any cash?"

Olivia checked. "Nearly sixty dollars. That would be enough to help _her_ get by, but not two little kids, as well."

Breaking away away from the pack, Nick pointed to the small, somewhat rickety table against one of the walls. "If Kim had any extra money coming up here, it's not much of a guess where it went."

They looked at the table and spotted an open bag of cocaine. There was also a smaller pile of the drug atop the table with a folded up notecard next to it, serving as a scoop. Someone had been taking the white powdery substance.

"Drugs, too?" Olivia sighed. "That coke could be Kim's _or_ Odis', but either way, that _really_ isn't good."

Carisi pointed towards the window, still open from earlier. "Whatever went down in here, Kim left through the window, and Bedelia must have gone with her because she'd still be here, otherwise."

Fin chimed in as the voice of reason. "That's all well and good, but if Bedelia and Kim are in the wind, then _where_ is Odis? Why isn't he _here?"_

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when the door to the room opened and the man in question entered, arms laden with food and drinks. He had clearly been expecting his wife and child to be there, but when he spotted four strangers, he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

If the situation wasn't so bad, Olivia would have laughed because once again, they were seeing just how strong the genes in the Rollins family were—though Odis Lee was his own person, he actually looked like a masculine version of Kim.

Odis Lee froze even more when he saw them all pulling out their guns and pointing them in his direction.

"Odis Lee Rollins, I presume?" Olivia asked in a deadly sweet tone.

He dropped the food. "Yeah…?"

Olivia narrowed her eyebrows in an 'if looks could kill' fashion. "You better start running."

He did.

And they gave chase.

* * *

Much later in the night, Bedelia and Kim had finally made it back to the neighborhood with that was in the jurisdiction of Olivia's precinct, and while they were thankful for that, they were also both soaked to the bone from a sudden rain downpour that they'd gotten caught in.

Kim was also in worse shape than when they'd left the motel. She was really feeling the withdrawal symptoms, but she was also having trouble breathing.

Miraculously, they reached the emergency room entrance of Saint Vincent's Hospital just before Kim's body gave out on her and she collapsed on the ground, convulsing.

Naturally, Bedelia became hysterical, but once a doctor calmed her down and gave her dry and warm clean clothes and even a pair of disposable ballet flats to wear, it was explained to her that Kim's breathing problems were due to tension pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung. The seizure was a withdrawal symptom.

Adding insult to injury, Bedelia was also told that even though they deduced that Kim hadn't used any cocaine in hours, she was perilously close to an overdose. Pumping her stomach was also on the agenda.

But the last thing the doctor told Bedelia before leaving her to her thoughts, was that Kim was expected to make a full recovery.

* * *

As Bedelia's thoughts shifted from worrying over how she was going to pay for the hospital bills to figuring out how to call Olivia so she could let her know that she and Kim were still alive, she also realized that there, in the waiting room, she was experiencing an adrenaline crash. Because of that, she realized that her body was very sore all over, including her breasts, and her breasts being sore was usually a sign that it was time to nurse Leon.

Bedelia ended up taking that as a literal painful reminder that she couldn't be with him, or even the rest of her children. She just wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere and cry herself out.

The worried mother wasn't sure how long she was even in the waiting room, but after some time, she became distracted by a redheaded woman taking a seat in the empty chair next to hers.

The first thing Bedelia noticed about her, even out of the corner of her eye, was that the woman had a burgeoning baby belly and that even her maternity clothes were top-of-the-line brands, which suggested that whatever she did for a living, it made her a lot of money.

"Here you go." the woman held out an open pack of travel-sized pack of tissues and offered them to her. "You look like you could use these more than me."

Bedelia thanked her and took them, while privately startled that she hadn't noticed that she was in tears.

When she finished cleaning herself up, the woman spoke again, sounding very curious.

"Pardon me for asking, but are you related to Amanda Rollins, by chance?"

Bedelia perked up immediately and turned to face her. "Yes! I'm her mother, Bedelia; do you know Amanda well?"

"No, but I have met her a few times over the years." the redhead admitted. "I actually know Olivia Benson a lot better."

"What is your name, please?"

Bedelia's new acquaintance held out her hand for a handshake. "Acacia, but you can call me Casey. Casey Novak."


	17. Night

After Bedelia explained her situation to Casey, she fully expected the younger woman to not believe her, so she was quite surprised by her first response.

"How can I help?"

"Wait—you believe me?"

Casey nodded. "I worked with the SVU for quite some time back in the day, and thanks to them, I had the most memorable years of my career."

Bedelia held her hands in the time-out position. "I'll accept your help, but why are you in the ER? You don't look hurt…"

"My friend from the office tripped and broke his arm, so I drove him here. He's in surgery, and I'm waiting for his fiancée to come here and trade places with me, but she texted me a little bit before I saw you and said she's gotten stuck in traffic."

Casey took her her phone out of her pocket.

"Would you like me to call Olivia?"

"Yes, please."

More than a little bit of time had passed since Casey had seen or spoken to Olivia because her career had taken her overseas to London after then last time she worked a case with the SVU. But, Bedelia needed help, so any friend of Olivia's was a new friend of hers.

"Acacia Stephanie Diane!" Olivia exclaimed when she saw her old friend's name on the Caller ID of her phone just before answering it. "Your timing is as remarkable as ever, especially since it's been _three years!_ What the hell?"

"I know, I know. I have a _lot_ to catch you up on," the redhead said, putting a hand on the massive swell of her middle as she felt her unborn daughter give her a hearty kick. "But I ran into someone who _really_ wants to talk to you right now."

Casey handed the phone to Bedelia, and when she heard Olivia's voice in her ear, she nearly cried.

"Hello?" Olivia asked.

"Oh, Olivia! I'm so glad to hear your voice!"

"And I'm so glad to hear yours!" Olivia exclaimed. "Bedelia, where are you? How did you find one of my friends?"

"Kim and I ran away from my husband, and we're at the emergency waiting room in Saint Vincent's." Bedelia explained. "I'm fine, but Kim is in emergency surgery because she has a collapsed lung. They also have to pump her stomach."

"What? Why?"

Bedelia tried to answer to answer, but the words got caught in her throat—as much as she was keeping up a happy front, it still gutted her to know that one of her children had any kind of dangerous drug in their system.

"Bedelia?" Olivia prompted. "You still there?"

"Yeah, I am." Bedelia forced herself to speak when she remembered that she was on the phone. "Casey was already here, but I promise she's fine. Will you please come?"

On Olivia's end of the line, there was a scraping of a chair and the sound of her getting to her feet. "I'm on my way right now, alright? Will you please give the phone back to Casey?"

Bedelia did as asked, and handed the cell phone back to its owner.

When Casey finished her conversation with Olivia, she hung her phone up and continued to hold it in her hands.

"Liv said to tell you that she's going to be here in ten minutes because she's using her siren." Casey said to her friend. "She also said to tell you that Amanda, Audrey, Alex, and all of the children are in a safe place."

Bedelia leaned back in her chair. "Thank God, and thank _you_ for calling Olivia."

"You're welcome." Casey told her after sending a quick response to a text that had suddenly popped up on her phone. "And that was my friend's fiancée: she said that she should be arriving in ten minutes, which means that she'll probably get here around the same as Olivia… and I hope you don't mind, but she invited me in on what's happening with you and your family because I'm a lawyer."

"I don't mind at all," Bedelia said honestly. "And that's actually quite a relief."

Casey smiled at that, liking Bedelia even more.

* * *

Just as Casey had predicted, her friend's fiancée arrived at the same time that Olivia did, but she also caught a glimpse of just who the fiancée was. It surprised her because she was an A-Lister, but before Bedelia had a chance to do a double take, the doctor who was in charge of the case came into the waiting room, spotted her and motioned for her to come join him in a more discreet place, out of sight.

Bedelia was further distracted from her thoughts when Olivia pulled her to her feet and hugged her.

"How are you doing?" she asked when they pulled apart. "All things considered, I mean."

"Scared, hungry, and missing my babies and my grandbabies." she nodded in the direction that Casey's friend had gone. "And was it just me, or did I see the actress Piper Chung pass us by?"

"I totally saw her, too, but…"

Olivia looked over at Casey with a raised eyebrow.

"Care to explain, Acacia?"

"Do you _have_ to use my _real_ name _again?"_ Casey whined.

Olivia and Bedelia continued to stare her down, saying nothing.

"Okay, fine." Casey addressed Olivia directly. "Piper is engaged to Trevor, and we're very good friends with both of them."

Olivia was dying to know who the other half of Casey's 'we' was, but she sorted her priorities out and asked something else.

 _"Trevor_ broke his arm? Why didn't you just say that on the ph—never mind. We're going to the cafeteria to eat while we try to figure this mess out, and you're invited."

Actually hungry, Casey perked up, gathered her things and held out a hand. "Help me up?"

Olivia did as asked, but she saw her friend's baby belly, she felt like her brain was frying. "And you're _pregnant?"_

Casey nodded, proudly framing the shape of her burgeoning belly with her hands. "This is Mía, and she's going to be here in three months."

Olivia decided to be mature, so she gave her friend another hug and congratulated her. "Are you married? Is that what's happened in these last three years?"

"Not married, no, but I am _with_ someone and we are very, very happy together." Casey's eyes flitted towards Olivia's engagement ring. "I see a ring on _your_ finger, though, so congratulations to _you."_

Quite amused by what was unfolding, Bedelia said, "You two behave exactly how I did with my best friend, Maggie Iris, and we were best friends friends from the time we were toddlers all the way up until the day she passed away ten years back. How long have you two been friends?"

"Twelve years as of this past May." Casey cheekily supplied.

"And Casey is the closest I've ever had to a baby sister," Olivia added. "Complete with her fondness of dropping from the ceiling at the oddest times and putting my poor heart through the paces. Like I need any more of that today; good grief."

"Then let's go eat." Bedelia said to her. "You can fill Casey in on what's happening, and I can tell you two about what happened since my husband took me. Maybe you can even tell me what you can about the rest of my family."

That sounded like a good plan to Olivia.

* * *

 **16th Precinct  
**

 **178 North Street**

 **Manhattan**

 **9:15 pm**

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Fin had been interrogating Odis Lee Rollins and in the process, he learned that like Amanda and Kim, he was wildly intelligent. Just to prove a point, he strung Fin along without actually answering any questions about the crimes that were surrounding him before asking for his phone call so he could ring his lawyer.

Wondering how a man from the bottom of the country boondocks in Georgia could afford a lawyer from New York—even a second-rate one—Fin, Carisi, Barba, and Nick were just outside of the interrogation room, waiting to see who was to join them.

"Well," Nick sighed, feeling like he was grasping at straws. "He hasn't admitted to anything, and we haven't been able to catch him in anything, but the matter of the cocaine remains. We could use it against him."

"Quit while you're ahead, Amaro, and I mean that in the nicest way possible." Barba told him.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

Barba nodded. "You all found the drug, and I believe you, but you also found it without a warrant. Mention it any time now, and it could very well get thrown out."

"Good point."

Carisi spoke up, trying to make light of things. "Well, with that last call from the sarge, we know that Bedelia is warm and safe, and that Kim is no longer in the wind. Maybe we can get her to talk when she's in recovery."

Barba nodded, but this was a nod of encouragement. "That's actually a really good idea, and we can use it, but nobody past us, the sergeant, Alex, and Casey can know about it. Yet."

"Fair enough, but who _is_ Casey? I heard the sarge say her name during the last update, but I don't know her."

Barba flustered, although only ever-so-slightly: Casey was his girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, but they had keeping things to themselves, wanting to enjoy the family they'd made together.

Noticing the microscopic fluster, Fin came to his rescue by answering the original inquiry. "Casey Novak ran with with us for years back in the day, and she'd always been like a little sister to Liv and me. Now, she's kind of like the ghost of the NYPD SVU because we haven't seen her at all in three years. I think the last time we saw her was just after Amanda and Nick joined us."

Nick nodded in confirmation, although he changed topics as he looked through the window at Odis Lee. Unconcerned with the situation at hand because he was just that confident, Odis Lee was flexing his fingers and rubbing his knuckles.

"Look at him, you guys." (Everyone did) "Even if it doesn't obviously look like it, he's displaying signs of having been in a tussle, so at the very least, we can see if Kim knows who he hit and work from there."

"What if _she_ was the one who was hit?" Fin asked suddenly.

"Then call Olivia before she leaves the hospital and have her messenger over any confirming evidence ASAP if that's the case." Barba decided.

Just as the dark-skinned man made to leave so he follow the instructions, the door to the room swung open and a familiar face entered.

"Lionel Granger, what the hell?" Fin protested.

"Cool your jets, Fin." Barba warned, having heard tales over the years of the squad's (and even Alex's and Casey's) interactions with Lionel Granger. "Really."

Smirking, because that was his way, Granger said to Barba, "I've come to pick up my client."

"I beg your pardon?"

That was from Nick after a moment of them all being truly surprised by what he'd said.

"Odis Lee Rollins is _your_ client?"

It was no secret that Granger's hiring cost was two arms and a leg.

"Indeed—we go way back, so I'm doing this pro bono. Now please move."

They all obeyed and moved out of the door they'd 'accidentally on purpose' been barricading.

After that, they watched as Granger left with Odis Lee in tow.

"Olivia is going to kill us all after she finds out about this." groaned Nick when he and the others were alone again.

Barba, Carisi, and Fin didn't disagree because he was right. They were toast.


	18. In Retrospect

**Because snarkmcsnark wanted more Amanda :)**

* * *

Olivia did get mad when she found out that Amanda's father walked out of the precinct on a technical aspect, although she was mostly frustrated—and totally mystified—by the fact that his attorney was the infamous Lionel Granger. He was number two on her list of defense attorneys that were a total pain in her ass, number one being Marvin Exeley. But they hadn't seen him in three years, and she wanted to keep it that way. Granger was enough.

Olivia quickly apologized to her colleagues for getting angry and then shut herself in her office with her blinds drawn. She wanted to be alone as she sorted out her priorities while she thought of what to do next.

As she sat at her desk, her eyes fell to a series of picture frames on the tabletop. There was a picture of her and Alex, happy together on a date, and another of Alex, although in that one, she was at home on the couch with Noah, looking at a picture book with him. Neither of them had been aware that the picture had been taken.

There were also separate pictures of Alex and Noah, but it was the very last frame that Olivia picked up and looked at for awhile because it was tugging at her heartstrings. It was her, Alex, and Noah, at Audrey Amaro's house, for a get-together one evening before Leon was born, and in addition to them and their host, Amanda, Nick, Bedelia, Maggie Blue, and even Frannie Mae the dog were all in the picture, too.

It was Olivia's first-ever family portrait, and while it needed to be updated to include the newest members of her eclectic, unconventional family, she was very proud of the picture because she'd never had a real family portrait before.

* * *

 ** _Undisclosed Location  
_**

 ** _Harlem_**

 ** _10:12 PM_**

* * *

Amanda had been a cop for her entire adult life, and she'd been through more than she'd cared to admit, but bunkering down in a safe-house? That was a first.

This house was technically a brownstone, but it was nondescript and in the heart of Harlem. The 16th Precinct had quite a few safe houses that were spread throughout the city and Amanda knew about most of them, but they'd been sent to this one because it was actually furnished for a whole family.

Speaking of things like families, all of the children in hers, Alex's, and Audrey's care had had such a full day that none of them had trouble falling asleep… save one.

* * *

Leon was wide awake and wanting to play and eat; he knew his mother wasn't even in the vicinity, and he missed her terribly, so acting restless and obnoxious was all he knew how to do. It was also pouring buckets of rain outside because they were in the midst of a summer rainstorm, and the tapping of the rain on the windowpanes was capturing the infant's attention. Even the lightning made him gasp and arch his back in excitement.

"Oh, come on, baby boy." Amanda yawned as she half-pleaded with Leon. "Sissy is exhausted and just wants to sleep."

Amanda loved her brother, as quirky as he was, but she really _was_ tired. A comforting thought was that Frannie Mae had been allowed to come to the house. She was now standing beside Amanda and resting her head against her bump, doing her best to comfort her.

"Thank you, puppy." Amanda told her pet. "You're a great help to mama."

Frannie Mae wagged her tail and made a happy noise at the praise.

"Amanda?"

The detective looked up at the sound of her name and smiled when she saw Alex, dressed in lounge clothes and with a freshly made infant-sized bottle of milk formula for Leon in one hand. Frannie Mae made another happy noise at the sight of Alex and curled up on the floor, content that Amanda would be alright.

"Hi, Alex." Amanda said around a yawn as she joined her on the couch.

The bespectacled woman gave a nod towards Leon. "He still being super silly?"

"Yes, and he's showing _no_ signs of slowing down."

"May I have a try? I've had a magic touch with Noah for as long as I've known him."

"Be my guest."

Amanda eased Leon into her Alex's arms and watched as she cradled him close while telling him stories as she fed him his bottle. It seemed that all Leon had needed was a different person because not to long into Alex's doting, he was resting a tiny cheek against one of her breasts, using it as a pillow and making happy noises the more Alex talked to him. As a sign of absolute trust, he even rested one of his tiny hands on Alex's feeding hand.

By the time Leon was completely finished, he was awake long enough to let Alex burp him and clean him up. He fell asleep in her arms almost immediately afterwards.

"Wow." Amanda marveled as Alex got even more comfortable on the couch, settling in. "You really _do_ have a magic touch with babies."

"Mhm." Alex cradled Leon in one arm just long enough to run her free hand over her eighteen-week belly, proud if it. "I just hope it carries over with Rachel because she isn't even born yet because she's being a drama queen."

"Oh?"

"Rachel doesn't seem to like Leon invading her personal space because she's decided to go all wiggleworm on me. It's going to be worse when she realizes she has legs to kick me with."

Amanda smiled in amusement. "You could always try growing two babies in your belly, 24/7."

Alex shuddered. "No, thank you. _One_ baby in there is enough."

Amanda smiled again, but Alex noticed that she seemed really sad. But then it hit her why.

"You're thinking about Nick, huh?"

"We've been apart before, but everything is different now because we're practically married and now have almost half a baker's dozen of kids to be parents to."

Hearing that, especially the emotion in Amanda's voice, Alex decided to bring up some of the skeletons in her closet. Normally, she wouldn't dare, but right now, it seemed warranted.

"How much do you know about how I met the squad and Olivia?"

Amanda was a little taken aback because as far as she knew, Alex had been affiliated with SVU for fifteen years, and fifteen years ago, she hadn't left Georgia yet and was just turning twenty.

"Something like you showed up to help the SVU squad out with a case because you were assigned to us by the Morris Commission, and then you ended up staying."

"That's exactly what happened; I'm impressed." Alex commended. "When Olivia and I met, we weren't as close as we are now, but when we fell for each other, we knew that we were it for each other. We even took a leap and decided to start a family."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was even pregnant with an IVF baby, but I miscarried and he died." Alex let out a wistful sigh and gently rubbed Leon's back. "Outside of the doctors that were overseeing my pregnancy, Olivia was the only other person who knew that we were expecting at all. We were so excited to meet Zion and be his mommies, but he went to Heaven too soon."

Amanda's heart was in pieces, hearing this, and she decided that the next time she saw Olivia, she'd give her an extra big hug.

"Alex, I am _so_ sorry that that happened to you and Olivia. How old would Zion be now?"

"My boy would've turned twelve in June." Alex gave a sad smile. "Things got worse after we lost him."

Again, Amanda was taken aback. "How?"

"There was a case where we _all_ got in way over our heads, and _I_ got in _way_ too far. Threats were made against me, and I was forced into Witness Protection."

Amanda's heart went out to her friend while at the same time, it filled with a tremendous amount of respect for her. Alex had survived something awful, just like she had, and she had always liked her, but this brought things to a whole new level.

"Oh, Alex…"

"It was already hard because we lost Zion, but it was even harder because I went into Witness Protection twice, and after I got out, it became so hard that I chose to stay away for a few years because my job took me elsewhere. I know none of that is exactly the same as what you're going through tonight, but I still understand what it's like to be away from the one you love in an uncertain time."

"That's actually really comforting, Alex. Thank you."

Amanda nodded towards Alex's rounded middle.

"You're a mom to Noah, and in a few months, to Rachel; has everything you've been through over the years—the losses and hiding and the time apart—been worth it?"

"Yes." Alex answered without missing a beat as she pulled a blanket over herself and Leon as he settled into a deeper sleep. "Going through all of that to be a mother to two little children I thought I'd never even have, and to be engaged to the love of my life at a time that finally feels right for both of us? Every last lonely day and teary night has made _all_ of it _totally_ worth it. Being a mother is the best thing ever."

That left Amanda feeling really warm and fuzzy, but before she could say anything, Audrey entered the room, carrying what looked like warm blankets, and she wasn't alone.

Zara, Maggie Blue, Lilyjoy, Rubyjane, and Noah were all with her, each looking different kinds of extra tired or sad. Noah even laid on the floor, using Frannie Mae as pillow.

"I went to check on everyone because of the weather," Audrey explained. "And I found that they were all on Zara's bed."

She picked Noah up of the floor and laid him beside Alex, tucking him under the blanket with her before casting one of the other blankets over both of them.

Amanda beckoned to the others and pulled them all on to the couch, taking a moment to hold Zara close.

"My sweet tiny love," Amanda cooed, wiping Zara's tears. "Why are you sad?"

"I got worried that daddy, your mama, and Livvie never came back!" Zara wailed. "I miss them, and I just want them _so_ much!"

"Oh, so do I." Amanda pressed kisses to Zara's crown as she hugged her close. "I miss them, too, but they'll be back before you know it."

"Are you sure?"

Amanda nodded. "One hundred percent."

Zara was comforted by this and leaned against Amanda. "Maggie, Lily, Ruby, and Noah showed up in my room right after I woke up from the nightmare. Noah likes the rain and lightning because he's a silly goober, but I think it's all kind of scary for Maggie, Lily, and Ruby because they can't hear since their hearing thingies are out."

Remembering that her sister and nieces were mostly deaf and realizing that none of them had their hearing aids in, Amanda did her best to get the trio's attention. She succeeded with help from Alex and Audrey, and when they were looking at her, she spoke and simultaneously signed a question to Maggie Blue.

"Why are you awake?"

Maggie Blue apparently had the ability to read lips because she responded verbally to her sister's question, although it was a little louder than Amanda would've cared for.

"I don't like the light in the sky." she lowered her tone when Amanda made a motion like she was turning down a dial. "Not at all."

Amanda signed and spoke again. "And neither do Lily and Ruby?"

Maggie Blue nodded and signed a question about her and her sidekicks coming to cuddle with her and Zara. After some repositioning and negotiating because of her baby bump, Amanda soon found herself somehow managing to hold Zara, Maggie Blue, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane at the same time so she could give them kisses and cuddles.

Audrey spread the blanket over Amanda and the girls, and when the little ones felt the warmth, all of them felt sleepier and snuggled closer to Amanda. The detective's heart was immediately fit to burst with love.

"Knowing that a little one trusts you enough that they'd fall asleep on you is another thing that made all my worry and heartache worth it."

That was from Alex, and she pointed to Noah, who was now curled up next her and sound asleep. He even had one of his tiny arms cast over Alex's baby bump, wanting to keep her and baby Rachel as close as possible; this actually turned Alex to mush because Olivia did the same thing when they were asleep together.

"See? Noah does it, and it melts my heart every time. So does watching him light up when he sees me after I come home from a long day at the office."

"Being a mother truly _is_ everything, isn't it?"

Alex nodded and Audrey, who had been watching them, stepped forward and pressed a kiss to Amanda's forehead.

"Being a mother is and always _will_ be everything, mija." Audrey told her. "I know you're holding an armful of little ones who have imprinted on you and that Alexandra is holding your brother—who has also imprinted on you—but once your own babies come, you'll understand more."

Amanda grinned at that. "I'm already looking forward to that day."

Fighting sleep, Zara suddenly sat up. "Mandy?"

Amanda looked at her daughter. "Yes?"

"Will you sing us a lullaby? Even if Maggie, Lily, and Ruby can't hear?"

"Of course. Get comfortable."

Zara did, and when Amanda was sure that at all of her charges were cozy, she sang to them the first lullaby that came to mind.

 _Dark is the night, calm is the sea_

 _Soft blows the wind through the evening trees_

 _Tired are the eyes that have seen all that you've seen_

 _Just let your mind start to dream_

 _Puddles of rain dry overnight_

 _Stars in the sky twinkle their eyes_

 _The curls on your head, your fingers and toes_

 _All need their rest for tomorrow_

 _I will never leave you_

 _I am always here_

 _I will never leave you_

 _I am always near_

 _Dark is the night, calm is the sea_

 _Tired are the eyes that have seen all you've seen_

 _Just let your mind start to dream_

Amanda sang to the children until they fell asleep.


	19. Fragile

As much as Olivia wanted to keep Amanda and the others safe and away from Odis Lee, she no longer could, mostly because he had never been under arrest in the first place during his time at the precinct.

On the bright side, though, plans had been made to bring Alex and the others out of hiding and to the station-house. Bedelia was even already at the precinct, hanging out in the kitchen while she waited for them to arrive.

In the meantime, Olivia, Nick, Fin, and Carisi were powwowing in Olivia's office with a trio of consultants in the form of Barba, Casey, and Melinda. It was all hands on deck.

Barba and Melinda had already been working on the case, meaning that nobody was all that surprised when they came, but Casey was an unexpected bonus. She was currently the Homicide Bureau Chief, but was looking to move back to the special victims unit in some kind of attorney capacity because she was ready to return; it was just a matter of the right opportunity at this point. Today she was on loan from the homicide unit because she'd inadvertently become involved at the hospital, and because her boss knew of her history with the SVU.

* * *

Olivia was delighted to have help from her friends because she knew how loyal they were to her, and it was with help from her posse them that they were able to decide that the toxicology reports showing just how close Kim had been to an overdose, as well as the MRI films of her body, highlighting the injuries from her father, would be enough to get a search warrant from Judge Donnelly or Petrovsky.

However, now that Kim was recovering from her seizure and getting her stomach pumped, getting a statement from her was going to be easier said than done. Barba was even sure that if Kim cooperated enough, the warrant she had standing against her from her last visit to New York waived away.

This was all a step in the right direction, and they felt accomplished, but now they were trying to figure out how Amanda's father knew Lionel Granger, but were now coming up empty.

Melinda, unfortunately, was called back to her office before a conclusion on that could be reached.

Just as Olivia was about to suggest go asking Bedelia if she knew anything about Granger, her office door opened and one of the desk officers could be seen, wanting to talking to her.

"Sergeant?"

"Yes?"

"Your family, and even Detective Rollins' pet dog are all on their way up here now."

Olivia thanked her and she, Nick, Fin, and Carisi were on their feet immediately, and they left to go join Bedelia. Casey and Barba elected to watch from a distance; neither of them were in any particular hurry to go anywhere, but they didn't want to intrude on the moment.

Bedelia jumped when the others entered the kitchen because she'd been wrapped up in her own thoughts.

She was fretting over how she was going to possibly pay for Kim's hospital bills and what was going to happen to her after she was released from the hospital, but she also had other thoughts pressing her.

Thoughts that she wished she didn't have to have.

She remembered how Kim had told her that she'd had to talk Odis Lee down from looking for her and getting her pregnant with Rollins child number five, and even taking her back to Georgia. He didn't seem all that interested in Leon, but knowing her husband like she did, he probably wanted one last child whose life he could control from the very beginning, especially if it was a boy.

Bedelia loved children—especially her own—so if she ended up with a fifth child, she would love, adore, and raise them, anyway. What bothered her, though, wasn't that she could very well have three small children under a certain age, or even that she could be having a baby before Leon's first birthday.

No… what bothered her was that Odis Lee Rollins was a man of his word and would more than likely come after again to achieve his goal. Bedelia also knew that the only two ways that she'd get pregnant again would be if he got her drunk enough—she was shamefully easily—or if he raped her.

She would rather break her sobriety than have it come to that last part, even if the circumstances became out of her control.

"Olivia!" she said in surprise when she and her underlings entered the room, looking far more excited than she'd seen them last. "What's going on? Is there something wrong?"

"Nope!" Olivia chirped. "We were just informed that everybody are in the building now!"

That erased Bedelia's dark thoughts immediately.

Much to Olivia's delight, Noah was the first person through the door, and the second he was within his mother's reach, she sat him on her hip and gave him hugs and kisses.

The next few moments was a flurry of people finding who they belonged to (and Frannie Mae curling up where she couldn't be trodden on), and Alex found Olivia, surprising her from behind with a hug.

"I missed you so much." Alex told her fiancée after they kissed. "So did Rachel."

Wishing that they were home so she could cover her love in kisses the way she really wanted to, Olivia gave Alex a peck on the cheek and then gently palmed the swell that was housing their daughter as Noah blew it kisses.

Olivia smiled as she felt Rachel's movements under her hand. "She hasn't learned to kick yet, has she?"

"No, because I think that she's waiting for both of us to be there for it."

Alex held Olivia's hand to her middle, having missed the feeling of it, but when she looked around the room and counted everyone, a small from appeared on her face.

Olivia noticed. "What is it?"

"Babe," Alex's tone was one of puzzlement. "How did Bedelia even _get_ here?"

"A stroke of luck that involves our favorite redhead."

Alex lit up that and then felt like she was going to cry. "Liv, she's here? I haven't seen her in years!"

Alex's path used to cross with Casey's all the time for years because they had worked in the same building, and before the darkness had first settled over the SVU, they had even been drinking buddies. Casey had even gotten Alex to come to the batting cages with her once. Alex had missed Casey dearly, but she just never said anything because it made her too sad.

Olivia's voice cut through her thoughts. "She's with Rafael, by my office."

That was all Alex needed to hear, and in the blink of an eye, she had left the room.

Watching the reunions alone now, Barba had been called back to his office, Casey lit up with joy when she saw who was headed for her.

"Alex!" she cried in excitment. "Alex, Alex, Alex!"

The friends hugged each other, delighted, each now feeling like their day was now complete.

"Woah!" Alex exclaimed, suddenly backing away from Casey. "Did I just feel a _kick?"_

"Mhm." Just like she had with Olivia, Casey pointed to her middle. "This is Mía."

Feeling as dazed as Olivia had been when she'd seen Casey the previous day, Alex parked herself in the nearest seating space, which happened to be the couch in Olivia's office. Casey sat next to her, grinning when she saw Alex's engagement ring and her own baby bump.

"You know," she said softly. "Olivia looked like her brain was going to melt when I told her about Mía yesterday. You're a few steps short of that same reaction right now."

Alex actually laughed at that. "Really?"

Casey nodded. "I also saw the engagement ring on her finger, but she didn't say anything about you being her affianced. Congrats, though."

"Thanks." the blond said proudly.

"She did tell me about Noah and I saw him, but she didn't say anything about him getting a sibling, so congrats on that, too. Although, to be fair, I kind of dropped from the ceiling on this whole thing."

"Isn't that your way, though?"

"Always has been, always will be." the redhead winked.

Alex laughed again and soon fell into conversation with Casey, catching up with her for a few minutes. It was a pleasant break from the chaos.

* * *

After the initial reunions had happened, the kids began clamoring for food, so Olivia ordered enough take out from the diner across the street for everyone. Something suddenly dawned on her, though, as she watched everyone eat: Amanda, Leon, and Bedelia weren't in the room.

"Everything okay, Liv?"

Amanda asked that, strolling into the room with Leon in her arms.

"Yeah." Olivia said in surprise. "I was actually just wondering where you, Leon, and Bedelia went."

"Well, Bedelia wanted to go some place quiet to talk to me while she nursed Leon, and now that Leon is full, he's my responsibility."

Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Is your mom okay?"

Amanda shrugged. "We talked, but I can tell that she's thinking about something that she doesn't want to tell me about. I'm concerned, but I won't press her."

"Good thinking. Did you tell her there's food?"

"Yes, but she's too stressed out to eat and really wants to talk to you."

"Well, _I_ need to talk to _her,_ anyway. Where is she?"

"All of the blinds are shut and I left the door open, but she's in the file room by your office."

Thanking her, Olivia headed over to the file room, and when Bedelia saw her, she invited her join her, but asked her to close the door behind her. Olivia did, and when she sat at the table with her friend, she spoke gently to her.

"Hey, Bedelia. Amanda said you wanted me, and I have to say that your timing is impeccable because I need to talk to you, but you can go first."

Bedelia took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Okay, but I need to talk to you as AJ's surrogate mother, and not her boss."

"Alright." Olivia said, realizing that whatever was about to said was of the utmost importance. "Go."

"If anything ever happens to me, please promise that you and Alex will do your best to look after my children." she began. "Kim is rough around the edges, but I know there's a good person in there somewhere, and AJ… she'd fall apart in the blink of an eye, even with Nick's help, and she needs to stay strong for those babies in her belly. Blue would just shut down because until we moved up here, we've been inseparable. Leon wouln't even remember me."

Alarmed slightly because of what her friend was telling her and asking her, but she still nodded. "I promise we will keep tabs on Kim and really look after Amanda, Maggie, and Leon."

"Thank you." Bedelia breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"You're welcome, but why are you talking like this?"

Bedelia voiced her fears, finishing with, "Because it wouldn't be like him to not follow through on a threat, or even try to."

"Do you want a protective detail on your place?"

"No." she sighed. "It would just confuse the children, and I don't want to give my husband the satisfaction of hiding. I just wanted to tell you because you're the closest I've had to a best friend since mine passed away about a decade back. You also love Amanda-June like she's yours."

"Even if we weren't all wrapped up in this crazy situation, I would still do anything for your family."

Bedelia actually almost cried at that, and just for a second, it was even more clear that Amanda had inherited her looks from her.

"That means a lot to me, Olivia. Thanks." Bedelia smiled at her, although mostly to cheer herself up. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Does the name Lionel Granger mean anything to you?"

At the drop of a hat, Bedelia's whole demeanor changed: she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, adapting a persona of 'devil may care,' with a large amount of disdain that she wasn't even trying to hide. When she spoke, her already heavy southern accent became even heavier.

"Yes. Yes, that name does mean something to me." she sneered. "I can't believe I _ever_ met that miserable jackass. Let me guess—Odis Lee is in so much trouble that he's hired Lionel to represent him?"

Surprised by the other woman's bluntness and accuracy, Olivia said, "Yep."

"And for free?"

"Two points to you."

Bedelia made a 'pfft!' noise. "Figures."

Now Olivia spoke with caution. "Bedelia, _how_ do you know Lionel Granger?"

"He is my husband's half-brother."


	20. Timeless

**This chapter is for my dear snarkmcsnark ;)**

* * *

In the wake of Bedelia's bombshell, she and Olivia sat together in silence, although it was clear that Olivia was doing her best to keep from having a brain meltdown and Bedelia was beginning to stew in bad memories of a life that she just wanted to forget about.

After a few moments, Olivia finally said, "Bedelia, does Amanda know that she's got an uncle here in the city?"

Bedelia shook her head. "No, she doesn't. Odis and I are the same age, and Lionel is two years older than us. The guys have the same dad, and so far as I know, Lionel stayed in Georgia until he was ten and then moved up here with his mother. I guess Odis has been staying in touch with his brother all of these years, and I just never knew."

"He's his _brother."_ Olivia said, almost sympathetic as she thought fleetingly of her own brother and how she would always miss him. "Of _course_ he would stay in touch with him."

"Whatever. I'm just glad I'm an only child." Bedelia shuddered. "Wouldn't Lionel representing his own brother be a conflict of interest, or something?"

It totally _was_ a conflict of interest, and Olivia would confer with Alex, Barba, and Casey about it later, but aloud, she said, "Why don't you let me worry about that, B? You just focus on your children."

"Alright, but can I ask you a favor pertaining to AJ?"

"Okay."

"I won't ask you to keep her from learning about having an uncle, but if you're around when she finds out, just promise me that you or someone will catch her if she faints. I don't know if that's even a quirk of hers anymore, but when she was younger, she would collapse or something along those lines whenever she received a shock or surprise. We got a lot of those back then, especially when money was tighter than usual and I went without so she and Kim didn't starve."

Surprised by this detail of Amanda's childhood that she was sure that Nick didn't know about, Olivia managed to keep her cool as she stood and pulled her friend to her feet.

"I promise you I'll catch her. Now how about we go see the rest of the family?"

In the midst of Bedelia's fears, hearing her friend refer to the people they jointly cared about as their family immediately calmed her.

"Alright." Bedelia told her. "Let's go."

* * *

 _ **2266 Azalea Street  
**_

 _ **Forest Hills, Queens**_

 _ **9:30 pm**_

* * *

Later that night, Amanda and Nick were unwinding from an already-long day and then a noisy evening of getting Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane used to their house. Only twenty minutes ago, Amanda and Nick had soothed Rubyjane back to sleep after she woke up crying about a nightmare, even more scared that she couldn't hear herself.

At present, she was fast asleep in her bed, and Frannie Mae was even with her, having decided all on her own to keep the small human company. Zara and Lilyjoy were both down for the count, totally unfazed by the disturbance.

As for Amanda, she was currently sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs spread, and although she wasn't exactly naked, she was wearing a bra and boxer shorts, the latter of which she had come to discover were quite comfortable with her ever-expanding waistline these days. Nick was propped up in between Amanda's legs, but was leaning forward and covering her bump in kisses as he spoke to the babies.

The twins were now halfway into their sixteenth week of gestation, and their parents could easily feel them squirm in response to their touches.

"Mandy," Nick said, looking up after pressing an extra lust-filled kiss to the bump. "I did some thinking about two very important things while we were apart."

"Oh?"

"The first thing is that I thought of was names for the babies, and I just really hope you like them."

"Try me, mi amor." Amanda purred.

Nick gave Amanda's middle a rub. "For baby boy, I was thinking Zion, and for baby girl, Grace."

Amanda loved those names immediately for her own children, but a lump formed in her throat as she remembered something.

"Nick, have you been talking to Liv and Alex?"

"No…?" his own answer ended in a question because he wasn't sure where Amanda was going with hers.

"This has to stay between us and them, but twelve years ago, they were going to have a baby boy named Zion, but Alex miscarried him and he died."

"How sad…"

"I don't know the whole story with Grace, or if she was Olivia's biological child, but Olivia was her mother for awhile just after she was born. She died because she was too little. This was five years ago."

Nick's heart filled with sorrow for his friends and their angel babies, but also awe that he'd picked two incredibly special names without even trying.

"Wow." he marveled. "Amanda, do you like those names for our kids?"

"Yes." she told him with a smile. "I really do, and if it doesn't make Liv and Alex too sad, we could name our babies in honor of theirs."

"I love that."

Amanda grinned and then said with a chuckle, "I know I've been dragging my heels through the mud about name specifics, but while we were all gone, _I_ thought of names, too. They're probably material for middle names."

"Let's hear them."

"For baby Grace, I was thinking of Grace Olivia Alexandra, and for her brother, Zion Moises Javier."

"Perfect." Nick turned his attention back to Olivia's middle and spoke to the twins. "Hello, in there, Grace Olivia Alexandra and Zion Moises Javier. This is your daddy, and mama and I are so relieved that we have your names picked out now."

Respondent to the sound of their father's voice, Grace and Zion went into one of their wiggle frenzies and it made Amanda laugh.

"Believe me, they love their names, and whoever is here," Amanda put her lover's hand on the top right corner of her belly. _"Really_ loves theirs."

"Excellent."

Nick sat up and pulled Amanda into his lap so that she was now straddling him and he laced his fingers in the small of her back to keep her secure. Puzzled, but arching her back at Nick's touch, Amanda put her hands on her beau's biceps and looked at him curiously.

"What is it?" she asked. "You said that there were _two_ things you thought about while we were apart?"

"Mhm." Nick took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Amanda, I love you so much… more than words can say. You're my best friend, my rock, and mother of and to all of our children. When all of the craziness is over, and Grace and Zion have been born, will you marry me? I'll have a ring, but—"

Amanda interrupted what had turned into nervous babble with a passionate kiss before she hugged him close.

"I love you, too, Nick." she told him. "I understand that this is you swinging the idea by me, but to answer your question, yes. _Yes,_ I _will_ marry you."

They broke their hold for a moment, and just looked at each other with nothing but the utmost love before Nick pressed a kiss to Amanda's forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers. "For saving me."

"Thank _you,"_ she whispered back. "For saving _me."_


	21. Forwards, Backwards

**For snarkmcsnark ;) xo**

* * *

Amanda and Nick wanted so badly to stay home with Zara, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane to play with them and get them used to life in the New York suburbs, but since they were in the middle of an active case, it was all hands on deck, even for them. Wanting to spend time with her granddaughters, Audrey happily volunteered to watch all three of them for free.

At the precinct, Olivia took Amanda aside in her office to tell her what Bedelia had said about their familial tie between the Rollinses and the Grangers. Predictably, she was shocked, but to her credit, she recovered quickly.

"Wow." Amanda sighed heavily as she leaned back in her chair and held her hands to her middle as she felt Grace and Zion tumble around inside her. "So far I've got two new siblings, become closer with you, Alex, and Casey, mended bridges with my mom, and now I have an uncle who has had history with our squad probably since I was a little kid? What's next? A sibling before Leon turns one? My mom loves kids, but I don't think she'd be able to handle having another…"

Though Amanda loved her siblings dearly, part of her hoped, foolishly, selfishly that she'd at least get one more so that Leon could have a playmate closer in age than Maggie Blue.

Olivia, meanwhile, remembered how Bedelia had confided in her about her darker fears of her husband coming for her and hurting her, so she didn't say anything to Amanda's ramblings, instead changing the subject.

"You up for a field trip?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's been awhile since I've been out in the field with you, and I miss it." Olivia elaborated. "Wanna come?"

"Alright. Where are we going?"

"To the hospital to see your sister. We need her version of events, and I haven't been able to see her about this yet, anyway."

Amanda sighed again. "I haven't seen her since last time, but are you thinking that she'll open up if she sees me?"

"You got it, Sunshine."

Olivia rose from her own chair and rounded her desk. When she got to Amanda, she pulled her to her feet and steered her towards the office door.

"Go get your things and meet me by the elevator in five minutes."

Amanda did just that, and they made small talk with each other, although when they were outside in Olivia's Crown Victoria and riding along, Olivia was the first one to say something real.

"Alex and I are going to be pulling a page out of yours and Nick's book."

Amanda arched an eyebrow. "Oh? You guys plan on five kids?"

Olivia laughed hollowly. "Well, not _five,_ but we want at least _one_ more so Rachel can have a playmate."

"Since Noah worships Maggie Blue?"

"That, and Alex and I aren't getting any younger. Actually, we're on the real estate market because we're looking at brownstones for sale. Our apartment is beginning to feel cramped, and Noah has entered a climbing phase. It's like living with a baby jungle cat."

"Good luck with that. _We_ lucked out by getting a house in a family neighborhood and also in that Zara entertains herself and the twins entertain each other."

As Amanda said this, her hands went down to her swollen middle as she let out a puff of air. Olivia noticed.

"How are the twins in your belly?" she asked kindly.

"We gave them their names last night," Amanda suddenly felt like she had to choose her words carefully. "And they've been wiggling around every hour, on the hour ever since."

"What names did you guys pick?"

"I'll tell you when we get there because it'd be awesome to have your complete attention without having to worry about traffic, too."

Eager now, Olivia did everything she could to get to the hospital faster, short of using the siren.

* * *

"Okay, we're here now." Olivia said ten minutes later when she had parked the car and they were walking from the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. "Will you tell me the babies' names?"

Amanda nodded and stood in front of her, framing her middle for Olivia to see. "I swear up and down that it's a coincidence because Nick thought of the names while we were apart, but we've got Grace and Zion."

Olivia's heart immediately clogged up as she thought of her angel babies.

"Oh, Amanda." she gave her a smile as she spoke softly. "I know you know about my Gracie-girl, but how did you know about my sweet Zion?"

"Alex brought him up while we were having a heart-to-heart."

"And you told Nick about him and Grace?"

"Only because my mind went straight to them, and I told him that it had to stay between us and you guys." Amanda said quickly. "We want to name our babies for yours. Is that alright?"

Olivia hugged Amanda the way a mother hugs her child. "It's _perfect,_ sweetheart, and the nicest thing anyone has ever done for us. Alex is going to be over the moon when I tell her."

Amanda melted as she always did when Olivia hugged her, mostly because she cherished their unique bond. She didn't want to, but she pulled away first.

"Would you like to hear their middle names, too?"

"Yes, please. I won't tell anyone but Alex."

"I don't know who is where, but we have Zion Moises Javier for baby boy."

"Moises Javier." Olivia echoed, her Spanish pronunciation perfect. "Moses was one of the most well-known leaders in the Bible, and Javier means bright; that's an excellent combo."

"Thank you." Amanda beamed. "Our daughter's middle names kind of just came to me, and these ones, we just want to keep in the family, especially since Zara's middle names are Audrey and Belle, for Nick's mom and Maria's."

Olivia was hanging on to every word now. "Oh, please tell me the rest of dear Grace's name!"

"She's called Grace Olivia Alexandra—for you and Alex."

Again, although overwhelmed with a lot of love and affection, Olivia hugged Amanda, thankful once more that they were friends and that they were as close as they were.

And Amanda hugged her in return, happy to have a small break from the madness.

* * *

The duo was much more composed and professional when they went to call upon Kim, and it was a good thing because she was so sad that feeling was rolling off her in waves as she laid in her hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown and propped up on pillows. She also had a number of blankets on her body to keep her warm because even though it was the middle of summer, she felt very cold.

Kim knew she was in trouble, but missing her children mixed with feeling like she'd just been run over by a bulldozer made her emotionally drained.

Amanda had never seen her wild, crazy, flamboyant sister so sad before.

"Kim," Amanda said as she and Olivia sat down in the chairs beside her bed. "I feel super lame for asking this, but how are you feeling?"

"So exhausted, but headed straight to rehab when they say I can go."

She looked at Olivia.

"Is my mom okay?"

Olivia nodded. "She is, and she's getting rest, too."

Kim's face bore an expression of relief on it before she turned back to her sister. "Did you take Lilyjoy and Rubyjane? Are they happy? Has daddy bothered them or Maggie Blue and Leon at at all?"

Only because Kim was her sister and they'd always have their sisterly bond, whether they wanted to admit it or not, Amanda answered her questions patiently.

"I'm with Nick now, and we're building a family together, but we took Ruby and Lily in without a second thought because they're family. And they are _so_ happy, Kimmie."

"Thank you for telling me that."

"Daddy hasn't come for them or Maggie Blue or Leon, but we'll protect them and mama if he tries."

Kim seemed very satisfied with her sister's answer because she turned back to Olivia, adapting an official, businesslike persona.

"How much trouble am I in? I just want to be _good."_

"That's encouraging to hear, Kim." Olivia told her. "We came here to get your version of events because we held your father, but he didn't say a word to incriminate himself."

"Sounds just like him to do that. Do I need a lawyer?"

"Not unless you feel you need one, or you weren't serious about wanting to be good. Are you willing to cooperate?"

"I am," Kim said so sincerely that Amanda found herself believing her. "But what about that warrant? I was being stupid when I skipped out on it."

Remembering a conference call she'd had with Barba, Alex, and Casey only an hour beforehand, Olivia responded, "If you cooperate fully with Amanda and myself right now, and you agree to be willing to testifying against your father if or when it comes down to that, I have reassurances from three of my colleagues who appealed to a judge on your behalf that the warrant will be completely taken off the table altogether and you won't face jail time for it."

Kim looked like she was about to cry, but she held it together and told her visitors exactly what happened, including admitting to doing cocaine and even that she got kicked around a great deal when he got irritated with her for being sad. Also not to be forgotten was the tossing of the murder weapon and that while she had been present at the attacks of, she didn't lay a hand on either Lilah Malcolm or Zoë Hugo.

The sincerity and remorse in Kim's voice was so clear that by the end, not only did Olivia and Amanda believe her, but they were also thinking that it was clear that Kim was Odis Lee's pawn and that he was clearly the mastermind between the two of them. Neither woman believed that Kim would be going to jail now.

Before Amanda and Olivia left, Kim called out to her big sister.

"Amanda-June, can I talk to you a second?"

"Of course," came Amanda's very surprised answer.

Olivia took her leave of the sisters, telling Amanda that she'd wait for her down the hall.

"Where are Lilyjoy and Rubyjane right now?" Kim asked when they were alone.

"Nick's mom Audrey is babysitting them and Nick's daughter, Zara. Audrey loves with her whole heart, and the twins aren't excluded from that."

"They're already getting the better future I wanted for them… Do you and Nick love Lily and Ruby?"

"Like they were ours."

Kim reached for Amanda's hand, smiling when she took it.

"I promise you I won't ever take my babies back from you and Nick, especially because they're already fitting in with you and your growing brood," Kim pointed to her sister's cute, blossoming baby belly. "But after you guys adopt them, or something, and I get better, would it be alright if I came back to visit and see how they are? I know I said I might not come back to them, but now that I've had time to think, I want to have the option of still being able to know them, even if _you_ turn into mama and _I_ become Aunt Kimmie."

To say that Amanda was floored by how selfless her sister was being was an understatement, but after everything that had just happened, Amanda would've been downright cruel if she'd said no… and she wasn't that heartless.

"Of course you can come visit."

"Thank you, Amanda. I love you."

With zero hesitation, Amanda responded, "I love you, too, Kim," and even placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before fixing her blankets and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Out in the hallway, Olivia perked up when Amanda returned.

True, she had missed being out in the field with Amanda, but she had had a feeling that going to see Kim would somehow be therapeutic for her favorite blond detective. Her thoughts were confirmed when when Amanda sat on the bench beside her, a little teary-eyed.

"Amanda," Olivia said, sitting behind her. "It's okay to cry."

"A-are you sure?"

Olivia held her close in a hug, although she wasn't going to let go until she was sure that Amanda would be able to handle herself again. She was very used to comforting Alex during her hormonally-induced crying jags now, and this would be no different.

"One hundred percent. I'll wait for you, and I promise I won't tell."

Amanda cried.

* * *

 ** _Three days later, July 12th_**

 ** _The Ramble, Central Park_**

 ** _4:45 pm_**

* * *

As a child, but especially during her life on the bayou with her parents, Bedelia had never heard either of her parents tell her that they loved her. She knew it was because she'd been born a girl.

That being said, even though she was a young teenager when Amanda was born, she made a vow to herself that she'd love her and any future children unconditionally, even if their father was too full of himself to care. Bedelia would love her children the way that she should have been loved as a child.

Amanda-June, Kimberly Paige, Maggie Blue, and sweet Leon were Bedelia Rollins' life, through the good and the very dark, and she would do anything for any of them.

Anything.

"Mama?"

"Yes, my baby Blue?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Today, Bedelia was taking Maggie Blue to the park as part of a 'mama daughter' day. Bedelia had missed the little one greatly when she and the others had been hiding. She'd also been preoccupied with Leon, too.

Today was about reconnecting. Leon was being babysat, and they even had Frannie Mae tagging along, as per Maggie Blue's request because she loved her so much.

"Mama?"

Bedelia bit back a chuckle at her daughter's one track mind. "Yes?"

"Frannie is a g—"

Maggie Blue's words tapered off when she saw someone on the path ahead of them and she became so filled with fear that she froze and wet her pants.

Even Frannie Mae saw the unwelcome person when Mggie Blue did, and went on the defense, protecting the small human, standing in front of her and baring her teeth.

When Bedelia saw who they were looking at, her stomach dropped.

"Odis Lee," she hissed, standing in front of the other two when he approached. _"What_ are you doing here?"

Of course, given that it was almost late afternoon, this area of the park was deserted, so there was nobody to watch this unfolding scene… or knock the open flask of whiskey out of his left hand.

"I've come here to get what I want and to do it the right way." (Despite his obvious alcohol intake, he still managed to speak as though he was as sober as a judge, and that freaked Bedelia out immediately) "Now let's go somewhere that we can't be bothered."

Bedelia stood her ground. "I'm not going _anywhere_ with you."

 _SLAP!_

"Yes, you are." he stepped even closer and held Bedelia's cheek and chin in one hand. "You are _still_ my _wife,_ and you _will_ obey me."

So steeped in old Southern religion was Odis Lee that he had a perverted sense of marriage and what it meant.

"And if I kick you or bite you?" Bedelia seethed.

"Tit for tat, Bedelia, and I might even go for Maggie and the dog."

At that, Bedelia wrenched herself out of her husband's grasp and gave him a solid shove backwards before turning to look at Maggie Blue. She was holding on to Frannie Mae's collar, terrified and trying to figure out what her parents were fighting about.

"Run, baby." Bedelia urged her. "I'll find you and Frannie."

Even at Maggie Blue's young age, she understood what she was being told, but she didn't want to.

"Mama, no!"

"I love you so much." Bedelia bent down and kissed her daughter's cheek. "I will find you both. _Go."_

Confused and really scared, Maggie Blue took off through the brush on the side of the path leading towards the main path down by the sidewalk. Frannie Mae hurried along beside her.

Straightening up, Bedelia turned back to her husband, only to have him immediately start dragging her in an opposite direction in an area that was more secluded.

She said nothing because she was too busy hoping and praying that she just make it out of this new nightmare alive.


	22. Does This Darkness Have A Name?

**To snarkmcsnark—please don't hate me for this one!**

* * *

Melinda Warner was, and always had been a private person because she and her sister Charlotte had been raised by their parents to keep to themselves; they were brought up by the kind of parents who believed that children should be seen and not heard, and that asking for help was a sign of weakness.

That was why, after fifteen years of association with NYPD's SVU, she'd only ever let loose a few details about who she was, for example that she was married with a daughter, or that she'd served in the Gulf War and that she'd also studied abroad in France when she was younger. She'd even said once that Charlotte was a buyer at Saks and made a serious killing off her career.

It wasn't that Melinda didn't trust anyone from the SVU because she absolutely did, but playing things close to the vest was just the way she was.

The only person who had ever cracked her shell besides her husband, or even Olivia, was Fin. There was just something about him that she'd always found gentle and reassuring. He knew all of her secrets, and she, all of his; it was like they'd been married in another life, or something. They were definitely best friends in this one.

As a result of their bond and how long they'd known each other, he also knew about how her husband Miles had recently divorced her after years and years of terrible fighting and failed marriage counseling. Melinda standing by their daughter, Amaya, when she came out as gay and admitted that she was in a committed relationship with another woman was the straw that broke the camel's back, or, in this case, Miles' back.

The whole divorce got settled very quietly, and Isaac had packed his things up and left. Melinda and Amaya were doing their best to find a 'new normal,' although it was going to be a long time yet because the divorce was a week old.

Today was the first chance she had to catch her breath, but she didn't want to be alone.

The only person she would be able to talk to was Fin.

* * *

"How are you doing, Melinda?" asked Fin as they sat down on a bench by The Ramble's main walking path in Central Park.

"Sad that my marriage is over because we were married for thirty years, but relieved that the fighting is done. Is that wrong?"

Thinking of his own failed marriage, Fin shook his head. "No. I don't think it's wrong."

"Will it ever get better?"

"Yes, but not right away. You've gotta give it time." he told her. "How's Amaya?"

"Taken aback because she's never known me to be alone before, but also relieved that she and her family can be together without having to worry about Miles' remarks and sneers."

"At least she's some kind of happy, though." Fin remarked. "Her girlfriend is Jessica, right?"

Melinda nodded. "Jessica Goldberg, and she has two little ones called Ezra and Hannah. They call me nana."

Fin snickered. "You're getting old, Mel."

"Please." she scoffed, nudging his shoulder with hers. "You are six years _older_ than me, Odafin."

Before the detective could come up with a good retort, Melinda hushed him and stood, ears fixed on a sound that had just gotten her attention.

"Fin, do you hear that?"

He stood and also had a listen. "Uh-huh. It sounds like someone crying... like a kid..."

The words were still hanging in the air when Maggie Blue and Frannie Mae came crashing through the brush, not even five whole feet to their left.

"Isn't that Maggie Blue and Frannie Mae?" Melinda asked as she tried to process what she was looking at.

"Yeah, and they both look freaked out, so we gotta be careful."

Melinda nodded in understanding in agreement, noting that Maggie Blue had a few cuts and scrapes on her knees and hands, like she'd taken a tumble, gotten up, and then kept going. The dirt all over the front side of her clothes was further evidence of that.

Frannie Mae, until she recognized the others as friendlies, was on her guard, protecting the tiny human in her companionship. When Fin and Melinda approached, she relaxed and sat on her haunches and wagged her tail. She didn't even mind that Maggie Blue was hugging her around her neck, using it like a life preserver.

"Hi, Maggie Blue." Fin said gently.

"Hi." she echoed back, surprised with herself that she could even talk.

"Maggie Blue, what are you doing in the park with Frannie? Where's Amanda?"

The little girl shrugged, quickly using one hand to wipe at her tears before she continued to hug the dog.

A sudden thought popped into Melinda's head, so in the tone she used to speak to Ezra and Hannah, she spoke to the scared little girl before her.

"Maggie, are you here with your mama?"

Maggie Blue's bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears as she nodded. When she spoke, her southern twang was cloaked in a fear-filled stutter and her speech started to revert.

Nodding, she touched Melinda's cheek. "Owie!"

"Who hurt her?"

Maggie Blue burst into tears at the memory. "D-daddy!"

"Do you know where he went?"

"No!" she whimpered. "Me b-bad!"

Melinda wanted to hug Maggie Blue, but the little girl didn't look in a hugging mood. She did settle for holding the medical examiner's hand and giving her her complete attention, though.

"Maggie Blue, you are _not_ bad. Not at all." Melinda told her. "Do you understand?"

Nod.

"Do you know where your mama is?"

With a quaking finger, she pointed back from whence she'd come.

Fin spoke to Maggie Blue again, continuing to be very gentle. "I'm going to go look for her, and Melinda will carry you, but I need to borrow Frannie. Is that alright?"

Maggie Blue glanced at Frannie Mae and realized that she still had her leash attached to her collar.

"She help?"

"She sure can. Will you let me have her leash?"

Maggie Blue kissed Frannie Mae's head and let go, taking a step backwards.

Wiping her tears and still making a concious effort to talk without signing, she said, "Here go, Uncle Fin!"

Thanking her, Fin picked up Frannie Mae's leash and instructed her to show him where Bedelia was. Because Frannie Mae was astonishingly smart, she understood and took off with Fin jogging behind her.

And even though Maggie Blue was filthy and her clothes were soiled, Melinda scooped her up and followed, praying that they weren't going to be too late.

* * *

Bedelia felt disgusting and filthy.

Those were the two things Bedelia immediately registered as she came to after being knocked out by Odis Lee.

It hurt to move, and when she reached between her legs and immediately recoiled at the pain, she realized that her worst fears had come true—she'd been raped.

She could also smell her husband's whiskey, and though she saw no sight of him, when she looked at her torn clothes, she realized the stickiness she felt on what left of her torn garments was not bodily fluids as she'd suspected, but probably all of the liquor from the flask. He'd poured it all over her. Bedelia could also taste it in her mouth, like he'd forced it down her throat, although if it was before she'd blacked out or after, she couldn't tell. The very thought made her start sputtering and it filled her with intense shame; on top of everything, her sobriety had been broken.

"Bedelia?"

She looked up at the sound of her name, startled, although she winced quickly. Her head was incredibly woozy and sore, which was probably accounting for the holes in her immediate memory.

But she recognized the voice and called back, "Fin? Is that you?"

"Yeah!" he called back through the thick foliage that separated them. "Is it alright if I come back there?"

Every bone in Bedelia's body wanted to scream "Hell, no!" because he was a man, but then she immediately remembered hearing about how Fin had looked out for Amanda for all of these years like a big brother, and that she also technically qualified as a victim now. Helping her out when she was in this kind of state was in Fin's job description. She didn't want to keep him from doing his job, especially since he was her friend.

So she answered quickly. "Yes, Fin!"

Bedelia, as Fin found her in the dirt and plants, was a mess, and she had her knees curled up to her chest in an attempt to keep herself decent. She was was even beaten, bruised, bleeding and in tears. It was enough to make a grown man cry.

Bedelia's clothes were just about torn to shreds and her shoes and purse were half a foot away, like they'd purposefully been tossed aside. Even Bedelia's beautiful blond hair that she normally kept in a bun because of its length was free and hanging limp around her shoulders, filled with dirt and twigs. Odis Lee had performed a real number on her.

Just like she had when Olivia had asked her about Granger, her accent sounded heavier, although Fin heard a French lilt to it; Bedelia was working double time to not slip right back into speaking French like she did whenever she was afraid because she wanted Fin to be able to understand her.

"D-don't touch me." she held a hand out, stopping him. "Please."

"Okay, I won't." Fin crouched at a respectable distance from her. "Odis Lee did this?"

Bedelia nodded as tears cascaded down her face. "Where are M-Maggie and Frannie?"

"Just down the hill with Melinda. We found them, and Melinda is calling for an ambulance. Do you know where Odis Lee went?"

"No." Bedelia whimpered. "Please don't let my children see until I-I get to the hospital, okay? They'd all freak out."

No sooner did Fin give her his word than Bedelia lost her nerves and vomited all over herself.

* * *

Back at the precinct, Olivia received a call from Melinda about what was happening, and while she was upset with herself about not being able to protect her friend, she reminded herself that at least she and Maggie Blue were both still alive. Once she thanked Melinda, she hung up and called upon her three favorite underlings from the doorway of her office.

"Amanda? Nick? Carisi?"

When they saw her beckoning to them, they all immediately stopped what they were doing and made their way across the bullpen and into her office, each of them sitting on the sofa, as it was the only furniture piece in the room that was big enough to house all three of them.

"Sarge?" Amanda asked as Olivia shut the door and turned to face them. "What's going on?"

Olivia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She still remembered all too well when Captain Cragen delivered the news to her about her own mother. Never had she imagined that she would have to do something like that.

"Rollins, your mother was attacked in Central Park twenty minutes ago."

Fear enveloped Amanda's body immediately as her heart bottomed out.

"What?" her voice wavered, and just for a moment, they heard a bit of what Amanda had sounded like when she was a little girl. "She isn't dead, is she?"

"No, but she was beaten and raped by your father."

Grace and Zion reacted immediately to the abrupt uptick in their mother's heartbeat by squirming more than they ever had before, but Amanda was only vaguely aware of them and even the guys as they offered her their support and sympathy. She only had eyes for her CO.

"Where is she? Is Maggie safe? What about Frannie? They were borrowing her!"

Olivia explained the situation as it was, and while Amanda was relieved that Fin and Melinda were looking after her family, she suddenly felt responsible for Leon—who was with his babysitter—and she also had an overwhelming desire to leave the precinct immediately for the hospital so she could find her mother, her sister, and her dog.

"What do we do now?" Amanda asked when Olivia finished.

"You are going to come with me to the hospital," Olivia told her before turning to the other two. "And you guys are going to do everything you can to track Odis Lee down."

Asked Carisi in a dead serious tone, "And if any of our attorney friends or Granger show up while you're gone?"

"Call me, regardless of who it is."

Olivia's tone was equally serious in response before she turned back to Amanda and helped her to her feet, taking extra care to steady her.

"You ready?"

Amanda nodded seriously. "I am."

"Then let's roll."


	23. Aftermath

When Amanda and Olivia made it to the hospital, they were split up almost immediately because one of the pediatric nurses recognized Amanda, and informed her that she was about to call her because Maggie Blue was having a full-on meltdown and wouldn't let anyone go near her except for Frannie Mae, who hadn't strayed far from her side since leaving Central Park.

Amanda longed to go check on her mother, but when Olivia told her that she would go to Bedelia for her and that she should go be a mommy to Maggie Blue, she followed the nurse.

* * *

 ** _Pediatrics Wing_**

 ** _5:25 pm_**

* * *

Amanda could hear her baby sister's terrified cries all the way down the hallway, and when they reached her room, she saw Fin and Melinda, along with one of the pediatric doctors she remembered as a Doctor Campbell. They were all gathered around Maggie Blue's door, not because they were too scared to go in, but because they were trying to figure out what to do next.

Peeking in, Amanda could see Maggie Blue on the floor in a corner, sobbing her eyes out. Frannie Mae was laying next to her, her head in her lap; she wasn't a therapy dog, but she was very good at calming people down and had used that exact move on Amanda whenever she was depressed and in the middle of a crying jag.

Amanda was proud of her dog, but she still felt very concerned for Maggie Blue.

She turned to the other four, arms crossed over her baby bump. "What the hell happened to my sister?"

Campbell answered, "She freaked out when I told her that she needs a bath so we can clean and bandage her wounds. She also started talking in French, and unfortunately, I don't know it."

Amanda looked back in the room and surveyed it again, taking in just how frightened she was. The detective also noticed something that made her arch her eyebrows at the physician.

"Why are Maggie Blue's shoes on the _floor?"_

"She threw them at me to make me go away. She's got a wicked aim."

That was from the nurse who had escorted Amanda up to the pediatrics wing, so she turned to her and spotting the name Riley on her name tag, she spoke to her authoritatively.

"Riley, do you have anything like bubbles on this floor at all?"

Riley was taken aback by the question, but she nodded. "Over in the prize bin, by reception."

"Please do me a favor and grab the first container you see. Be quick about it."

Riley nodded in understanding and set off at a jog to accomplish her delegated task.

"Amanda, I speak French, but Maggie Blue was too freaked out to consider even talking to me. She even rebuffed Fin." Melinda said suddenly. "Are you hoping to use the bubbles as a distraction?"

"If not for her, then at least for Frannie so I can separate them. Frannie is powerless to resist bubbles of any kind."

Campbell spoke to Amanda. "Whose dog _is_ that? She growled at Riley and myself when we approached; she's guarding your sister."

"Frannie Mae is mine." Amanda shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "My mom and Maggie Blue were borrowing her today. Frannie is very protective of small children and babies; it's just who she is."

"Well, that's good to know. As long as she stays with your sister, I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her and changed the subject. "I'm sure you've noticed my sister's hearing aids by now?"

"Indeed. How deaf _is_ she without them?"

"According to our mother, ninety-five percent. Maggie Blue already has a speech delay and she signs when she can't think of what to say; has she started that yet?"

"No, I'm afraid." Campbell sighed and then gave a nod of acknowledgement in the direction of Fin and Melinda. "Your friends told me that Maggie Blue saw your father hit your mother on a hiking trail in The Ramble."

"Oh, my God…"

Amanda had vivid childhood memories of that very same thing and it made her heartsick that her sister had seen it, but then she realized that that must have been what made her bolt with Frannie Mae.

As Amanda came to this conclusion, she jumped when she realized that Campbell had asked her something.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "What was that you said?"

"I said, 'I know you are a detective and that Maggie Blue is your sister and that your mother was assaulted today, but are you by any chance your sister's emergency contact'? I can't continue this conversation if you aren't."

"Yes," Amanda said, remembering a conversation she'd had with Bedelia on this exact subject not long after they'd moved to town. "I am her emergency contact because our father doesn't know her very well, and he's really bad news, as it is."

Campbell gave a nod of approval at that, but was kept from saying anything when Riley came hurrying back and she handed her a plastic yellow vial of bubbles to Amanda.

"Here you go, detective."

Amanda took the bubbles and thanked her before addressing the others. "I'm going to go loosen them up as best I can, but to make sure that everything happens without any hiccups, I think it would be best if Maggie didn't see any of you."

They all caught her drift and cleared out of the area, with Campbell instructing Amanda to press the call button when things were settled.

Amanda entered the room cautiously and gave a whistle. Of course, Frannie Mae heard that, and when she saw her owner, she stood up and gave a happy bark. Maggie Blue actually heard the bark, although it was very muffled, but when she saw her sister, her wails immediately went down a notch to blubbers.

"M-Mandy?" she managed after taking a few calming breaths.

"Hello, baby girl." she spoke and signed. "Is it okay if I blow bubbles for Frannie to play with?"

She unscrewed the vial and showed it to her sister, even dipping the wand in the solution to prove her point.

In what was a huge effort, Maggie Blue let go of her canine protector and nodded.

Lifting the bubble wand out of the vial, she blew on the pointed end. A cascade of tiny bubbles filled the air, and seeing her most favorite play thing, Frannie Mae took a step forward and jumped up, aiming for the bubbles that had floated towards the ceiling. Frannie Mae got some serious air, even in that small space, and managed to catch quite a few of the bubbles.

Maggie Blue watched, and she became so impressed with Frannie Mae's jumping skills that she forgot about being sad and she broke into a snorting, joy-filled giggle.

Amanda's heart leapt happily at the sound and for her dog's benefit, she blew one last round of bubbles before she recapped the vial and set it, along with her jacket on the table before she sat on the floor with her sister.

"Are you feeling better, my Bluebell?"

Maggie Blue watched Amanda's hands as they formed the words, and then responded in kind, saying that she was indeed feeling better and that she wanted to Bedelia.

"Not just yet." Amanda told her. "We need to think about you first."

She let out a disappointed huff and crossed her hands. In the process, her left hand, which she had been holding in a fist, unclenched and her hearing aids fell out and clattered onto the floor.

Amanda reached over and picked them up, dusting them off before she showed them to her sister, asking and signing, "Is it alright if I put these back in your ears for you?"

Maggie Blue hesitated. On one hand, she liked the silence, but on the other, she desperately wanted to hear her precious big sister's voice again.

"Yes." she said finally said aloud.

Thankful that she was practiced at it, Amanda put the medical devices back in her sister's ears and when the little girl confirmed that she could hear again, the first thing she did was pose an inquiry.

"Why'd daddy do that?"

"Because," Amanda sighed as she wiped her sister's tears with her thumbs. "He isn't nice and he doesn't know how to use his words all the time. He's always been like that."

"Hitting is _bad…"_

"Yes, it is, but you are my baby Blueberry, and," Amanda held Maggie Blue's hands in hers and kissed her tiny fingertips, even though they were still covered in dirt from the park. "You have a joyful heart, and you are _very_ gentle."

Maggie Blue beamed with pride at the praise and blew her sister a kiss. "I love you, Mandy."

"I love you, too."

Maggie Blue proceeded to blow kisses to Frannie Mae and Amanda's baby bump, too. All of the affection made Amanda's swell with love.

"You're a happy camper now, aren't you?"

Maggie Blue nodded and then caught a look at herself in a nearby mirror. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized how filthy she was, but when she caught sight of a minor cut on her arm, she turned back to Amanda and held the limb out.

"That's blood?" she asked. " _Mine?"_

"Yes."

Maggie Blue let out a small groan and then toppled over in a faint.

Beside her, Frannie Mae let out a yelp of surprise and then began licking the tiny human and nudging her awake with her nose. Amanda had caught Maggie Blue, so she laid her on the floor. She shouldn't have been amused, but as she unbuttoned her sister's clothes and began fanning her off, she found that she was actually _very_ amused.

"How did I know that _you_ would be the one that faints at the sight of blood?" she asked. "There's nothing wrong with that, but you might want to consider a safe job when you grow up…"

* * *

Down in Exam Room One, once the doctors had finished the majority of the rape kit and Olivia finished handing everything off to a waiting uniform to get processed, she continued to stay with Bedelia upon her request; being alone really freaked her out. The only time that she had let her out of the room was just to the hallway so she could call Audrey to tell her what was going on.

That's why Olivia bore witness to what happened next.

"Missus Rollins," the doctor said as she helped her into a sitting position, leery of the swollen ankle she'd gotten during the assault. "Everything is in order now, and I'll send some nurses to help you get cleaned up once we relocate you to a room in the recovery wing."

Bedelia nodded in understanding, so the doctor went through the last leg of the rape kit and offered her patient the anti-STD pills. Bedelia knew for a fact that her husband was free of any disease—except stupidity—but after a day like today, she wasn't willing to hedge her bets, and she downed the pills with the Dixie cup filled with water that she had also been offered.

When it came to the birth control medicine, however, she turned it down.

"I don't want it."

Olivia stepped in. "B, are you sure?"

Turning to her friend, Bedelia nodded. "Even though I grew up where I did and how I did and I first became a mother when I did, I still have lines that I won't cross."

Bedelia Rollins was a complicated woman with one of the strangest belief systems Olivia had ever seen (once leading her to wonder if she just invented herself along the way after Amanda was born), but she still respected her.

"Alright. No problem."

Bedelia was about to say something else, but she faltered when she realized that the doctor was watching them, so Olivia spoke to the physician for her.

"Is it time to bring her to a recovery room now?"

"Yes." she nodded. "Will you please assist Missus Rollins into a wheelchair?"

Olivia nodded in agreement. "Of course."

The healthcare professionals left Bedelia and Olivia to their own devices after Bedelia was clean, wearing fresh clothes and resting in bed with her damaged foot propped up on a pillow. It was a few moments into that silence that Bedelia had an adrenaline crash and everything finally came crashing down on her.

"Why didn't I fight that jackass _harder?_ For God sake,I'm the daughter of two trained fighters, and they taught me their craft!" Angry, Bedelia wiped at her tears. "This is all my fault!"

Olivia's heart broke for her friend because it was just like watching Amanda when she unravelled, but she remained as calm as she could.

"Bedelia, this is _not_ your fault."

 _"No?"_ she sneered. "If I hadn't followed my firstborn up here, Odis wouldn't have followed _me!"_

"But then you'd still be in Georgia, and I wouldn't have ever met one of the best people I've ever known. You and Amanda wouldn't have mended your bridges, and Maggie and Leon would be growing up in Loganville."

Bedelia calmed almost immediately. "I didn't even think of any of _that…"_

"And Bedelia?"

"Yes?"

"You survived, and Maggie Blue and Frannie Mae are safe. That's what matters."

For as much pain as Bedelia was in, physically and emotionally, Olivia's words hit her in the right spot, making her even calmer.

She also saw a flicker of something like pain and old memories in the older woman's eyes and immediately recalled that something bad had happened to her. Before she could ask what it was, though, her mood brightened up even more by the arrival of three visitors.

"Mama? You up for company?"

Amanda had arrived, pulling Maggie Blue in a wagon behind her. Bedelia immediately noticed that Maggie Blue was hooked up to an electrolyte IV and that the fluid bag was attached to a pole that was attached to the wagon, so she was very careful when Amanda laid her in her arms. She even managed to give a quick pet to Frannie Mae when she poked her head and front paws up on the bed to check on her.

After sending Frannie Mae back to Amanda and seeing that Maggie Blue was down for the count, Bedelia looked over at the two law enforcement officers, who were now sitting in chairs beside her bed.

"When can I see Leon?" she asked.

"After we finish here." Olivia told her. "Amanda will go get him and bring him for a visit."

Bedelia nodded in understanding and absently stroked Maggie Blue's hair, making a soft humming noise.

"What is it?" Amanda wanted to know.

"It feels a little strange, talking to you, my firstborn, and also my best friend, about something like this. I know you two are trained in helping people in this kind of situation, but I don't know if you'd understand."

Amanda immediately turned to her CO. "Should I go first, or should you?"

"I will." Olivia told her.

"What are you talking about?" Bedelia asked warily.

"Sixteen years ago, I was threatened and stalked by someone we were investigating, and I have to admit, he spooked me very badly." Olivia began. "Then _seven_ years ago, I was undercover in a prison without backup for awhile… and at one point, I was about ten seconds from being raped by my target. I would've been if not for Fin coming to my rescue in the nick of time. I had serious PTSD after that one, but I got help."

Even Amanda hadn't known that about Olivia, so the good sergeant had both of the Rollins women staring at her in surprise.

"And then _two_ years ago now, I was kidnapped and tortured by a madman. He even got me extremely drunk against my will. I hit him silly with a bedpost at one point during the ordeal because he wanted to have his way with me, and I had to defend myself; it was a matter of staying alive, or letting him or my sanity be my end."

Olivia shuddered at the memories.

"I even had more serious PTSD than after what went down in the jail, and I cut my hair shorter than it was."

"I-is your monster dead now?" Bedelia stammered.

"Yes, and I was able to get into some very good therapy. That was around the time that Amanda kept me on course when or if I strayed and had a bad day. It's behind me now."

"Oh, Olivia, I'm so sorry that those things happened to you. I'm glad you're better and that you have a family, though."

"Thank you." Olivia's tone was quiet and soft. "So you see, I do understand."

Bedelia nodded and turned to her child. "Amanda-June McLaine, what happened to you that falls into this category?"

Tears welled up in Amanda's eyes as memories of her time at the Atlanta PD came rushing back.

Out of affection and because she genuinely loved Amanda like she was her own flesh and blood, Olivia pressed a reassuring kiss to the young woman's cheek.

"She's your _mother,_ Amanda-June, and she loves you more than you could _possibly_ know."

Confidence bolstered, Amanda nodded and turned to Bedelia.

"Remember how I said the guys in my old unit were very sexist, and that that was why I left?"

"I remember that from our last fight before you left Georgia altogether. You also said that there was another thing, but you wouldn't tell me what it was. Is this about that other thing?"

Amanda gave another nod and kept one hand on her bump as she she felt the twins move around, and the other on Frannie Mae's head, rubbing it appreciatively when she ambled over to offer her her support.

"It is." Amanda finally told her. "My CO, mama… he _raped_ me."

There was a beat of silence on Bedelia's part as she processed what her own child had just told her and then, "Amanda, I don't have any words, other than that I am so _incredibly_ sorry and that I wish you had told me, but I can understand why you chose not to. Did you get pregnant?"

"No, but I would've kept the baby if I had."

Olivia felt a lump in her throat at that and spoke up.

"Bedelia," she found herself saying. "There was one thing that I left out. It's the biggest skeleton in my closet, actually."

Bedelia turned from her daughter to her friend. "What is it?"

"I also understand you, and even Amanda, to a certain degree about truly terrible skeletons because I'm the product of my mother's rape."

Bedelia grew taken aback. "You are?"

Olivia nodded. "Yes, and that's why we were estranged for so long."

Bedelia was quiet for a few moments, digesting everything that she'd just been told. These were some of the darkest secrets she'd ever heard from anyone in her entire life, but the weight of them still gave her the confidence that she needed.

"Okay," she told them. "I'm ready to explain what happened."

* * *

 ** _The Ramble, Central Park_**

 ** _5:50 pm_**

* * *

Fin and Melinda ended up getting called to the crime scene to preside over it, and they left before they could check in on Maggie Blue, but Melinda decided that it was just as well.

When she'd gotten to the park earlier, she'd walked because she lived across the street, but then she rode to the hospital via ambulance. Now that she'd been called back to the park, she rode with Fin in his cruiser since he was going there, anyway.

"Fin," she said as they walked down the path towards the crime scene. "Did we just get lucky?"

"What do you mean?"

Melinda laughed nervously. "Nobody asked us _why_ we were at the park together in the first place."

"That's true."

"What if they start jumping to conclusions, but almost everyone has paired off now. I mean, I know I just got divorced, but…"

Fin stopped walking and put his hand on Melinda's shoulder, stopping her.

"Mel, what are you driving at? You always beat around the bush when you get nervous."

"I do?"

"Uh-huh. I've liked you for years, but just for the record, it wasn't until you and Miles decided to separate."

"I've felt the same way, probably for just as long," (Especially when you were my drinking buddy, Melinda thought) "But maybe, when things have quieted, we could give the others a reason to actually jump to conclusions?"

Fin looked at his friend with complete adoration, but before he could say anything to her, a uniform appeared just up the path, leading towards the trail. He burst their bubble, beckoning to them.

So they headed over.

Fin would give Melinda an answer later.


	24. Night Redux

_**16 West 82nd Street, Apartment 1H**_

 _ **Manhattan**_

 _ **8:30 pm**_

* * *

Olivia felt like a failure.

After leaving the hospital from seeing Bedelia, she returned to the precinct to aid in the search for Odis Lee, but the cunning that ran as deep in the Rollins family as the strong genes did appeared to have kicked in because nobody could find him anywhere.

Granger actually came to visit, and when he got to Olivia's office, he got as far as Olivia closing to door behind him before she let loose and yelled at him about his irresponsibility.

The sergeant's mood was worsened before the day was out because when they finally got the warrant signed to go search Odis Lee's and Kim's room at the Lydia Motel for the cocaine, they found that except for just the smallest amount on the floor under the table, as though it had been forgotten to be swept up, the rest was nowhere to be found, flushed away, no doubt.

The only thing that didn't keep Olivia from losing her marbles altogether was knowing that she had a family to go home to.

* * *

 _"Please_ tell me something cheerful, Allie." said Olivia as she sank into bed after putting Noah down for the night. "Bedelia, Maggie, and Frannie are safe, but the rest of my day was hell in a hand basket."

Alex, who had been reading What To Expect When You're Expecting, brightened up at Olivia's plea and set her book on the bedside table before surprising Olivia by straddling her and giving her a sweet smile.

"You know how I told you that I had a day of meetings today?"

Olivia nodded. "Mhm, although you also wouldn't tell me what the meetings were about, as I recall."

"Because I didn't want to jinx them," Alex clarified as she cupped Olivia's face in her hands. "But now I can finally tell you!"

"Oh, please do."

"After this case is over, I'm getting promoted!"

Olivia's hear skipped a beat, and she immediately hugged and kissed Alex. "That's _wonderful_ news, baby, and I'm so excited and so proud of you! What will your title be if you're the Special Victims prosecutor now?"

That had been her title after her quiet return to the SVU and she was happy, but it was nowhere near the glory that she'd departed on. Why she'd been knocked back a few rungs on the ladder was another story, altogether.

"I'm being backed one hundred percent by Judge Donnelley because she's always been my teacher, but I'm going to be SVU's Bureau Chief again! And I'm not the only person who this is good news for!"

A lightbulb went off in Olivia's head. "You mean…?"

Alex nodded. "Our favorite redhead is going to replace me, and believe me, this is exactl—ooo…"

She let out a puff of air and she dismounted from Olivia, lying flat on her back and holding her hands to her middle. In an effort to make her comfortable, Olivia propped her up with a number of their pillows and when Alex gave her her thanks, the older woman sat cross-legged beside her.

"Is Rachel being silly again?"

Alex nodded and pulled back her shirt to show off her middle. "She still _won't_ kick yet, although I think it'll be sometime within the next few weeks, but she's as wiggly as _all_ get out and she doesn't seem to like it when I sit up for too long. She was giving me grief about it all day long and was quiet again until just now."

"Poor you."

Alex made a 'hmph!' sound and just focused on the breathing techniques that she'd learned in Lamaze class; those always calmed Rachel down.

Olivia just held Alex's right hand in both of hers, massaging it. Her eyes fell to Alex's middle and they could both see baby Rachel's movements from the outside, although it looked as though Alex had popcorn popping inside her. Alex was used to it by now, but the sight never failed to amaze Olivia.

"Allie, what does that feel like? Being pregnant, I mean?"

"Apart form nausea and the drama queen episodes like this one, it's the most beautiful feeling in the world, Liv, just like it was with Zion."

On impulse, Olivia peppered her fiancée's rounded middle with kisses, giggling as she felt Rachel's responses to the affection. Alex also began responding to the spontaneity by sighing happily and holding her hand to the back of Olivia's head, although it fell back almost immediately when Olivia gently kissed her way up her body, ending with a kiss on the top of her head.

When Alex recovered from that, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the brunette. "Well, believe it or not, Rachel Serena is absolutely calm now, but Olivia Ingrid Grace, I _know_ you, and that sudden display of affection was your way of beating around the bush. What are you thinking?"

Olivia took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I know that there are ten years between us, but what if, when we try for Noah and Rachel's last sibling, _I_ have a go?"

Alex's heart turned over at that question and she sat all the way up again. She was in her early forties and Olivia was in her early fifties, but even back when they'd first met, they acknowledged the large difference, but they they just never talked about it.

"Do you mean that? You want to try carrying a baby?"

The only reasons Olivia had said no to IVF the last two times was because she felt she was too old.

Almost shy, Olivia responded, "Yes, and… _if_ it doesn't work, then we can try with you again. What do you think?"

"I think that this is the best idea I've heard in a long time. What brought it on?"

"Getting to know our favorite family from Georgia. Let's just say that they've really opened my eyes when it comes to things like age and family."

Alex had always liked Amanda to begin with, but now that she'd gotten to know her, Bedelia, Maggie Blue, and Leon, she was finding that she loved them all as much as Olivia did.

"When do you want to try?"

Still feeling shy, Olivia said, "As soon as we can. Does that freak you out?"

"Not at all." Alex admitted. "I actually really like the idea, especially since we're about to close on the brownstone on Southwell."

"And I'm totally serious when I say soon, even though I know we've got all of this chaos going on. I'm also not just saying this because a good chunk of our friends have baby fever."

"I was never worried about that." Alex chuckled as she sat all the way up. "It's because neither of us are getting any younger and we agreed that wanted all of the kids to be close in age?"

"Bingo."

Olivia moved closer to Alex and held one hand to her bump, grinning as she felt Rachel roll a limb under her hand. She put a hand to her own middle and blew out a breath as it suddenly became incredibly real.

"Talk to me, Liv." Alex encouraged. "Come on."

"I'm just thinking about how _this,"_ she stroked the skin under her hand with her thumb. "Could be me in a month or two."

Alex moved Olivia so that she was on her back, first confused and then pleased when Alex resumed the straddling position from earlier.

"This _will_ be you." Alex corrected gently. "This _will_ be you."

Her heart turning to butter, Olivia said, "Alexandra Jasmine, I love you forever."

"And I love you the same."

Before Olivia could say anything to that, all that she do was begin gasping lightly and breathily as Alex began kissing her way down her body, hitting all of her sweet spots as she did, all while making subtle signals to take off her shirt.

Olivia was all too happy to oblige.

* * *

 ** _2266 Azalea Street  
_**

 ** _Queens_**

 ** _9:05 pm_**

* * *

Amanda's and Nick's house was filled to the brim with kids now, and Amanda loved having her sister and brother for the night, but she really needed to get some things off her chest and some kind of pick-me-up to lift her spirits about everything that had happened that day.

Zara had woken from a nightmare, so Amanda had gotten up with her since Nick had gotten up with Rubyjane, who had been the previous crying child. Zara was sharing a bed with Maggie Blue—who was already down for the count—but she held her and sang her to sleep. Apparently, Amanda was her new daughter's Kryptonite because she fell asleep before Amanda even finished the lullaby.

Just as Amanda was easing herself out of the bed and kissing both of its occupants good night, Frannie Mae wandered in after checking on Lilyjoy and Rubyjane and hopped up on to the bed. She curled up closest to Zara, who hugged her in her sleep. Frannie Mae was out like a light.

Amanda left the room, pleased with herself that she'd gotten Zara to sleep and very proud of her dog for being able to comfort little ones in distress.

When she got she got back to hers and Nick's room, she was very surprised that she didn't turn to into a puddle at the sight before her.

The beside lamp was on in a low setting, casting the room in a warm glow and Nick, who had been wearing a full pajama set when Amanda had left, was now shirtless and having some skin-to-skin time with Leon, who was in his diaper and leaning against his uncle and had an infant-sized blanket draped over his back to keep him warm. Leon had yet to sleep through the night, so Nick and Amanda had agreed to sleep in shifts to look after him, but now he was wide awake.

He wasn't fussing, though, because Nick was giving him a back rub as he talked to him.

Taking her phone out the pocket on her silk robe, she took a picture of the scene before pocketing the mobile device again and hanging the robe up on a rack by the door and sitting on the bed.

"Well, be still my heart." she said softly. "My beau _and_ my bro, hanging out with each other and getting cuddly."

Nick smiled. "He woke up just after you went to check on Zara."

"Well, she's asleep again and Frannie is with her. Both of them are sleeping now, and so are Grace and Zion, actually, so that's four babies down in the last twenty minutes and one to go."

Amanda leaned against Nick and turned her attention to her brother.

"Come on, Leon." Amanda stroked his pudgy cheek with her finger. "I miss mama as much as you do, but you've got to go to sleep a little bit more before you and Maggie can see her in the morning, alright? Aww, there's a good boy…"

At his current stage of development, Leon was beginning to recognize different kinds of sounds, and the melodious harmony of his oldest sister's voice was one of his most favorite sounds in the world. He had already sighed happily and was now sucking on one of his tiny thumbs.

Encouraged, Nick and Amanda told him the story of how they'd met and they continued at it until he fell asleep. Afterwards, though, Nick didn't put Leon back in his bed, wanting to just hold him a little bit longer.

"Leon is the first baby boy I've known in quite awhile, and since he's going to be my brother-in-law when you and I get married, I figured that he and I should get in as much bonding time as possible."

"Good call, although you _do_ realize that when we get married, Kim and Maggie Blue will be your sisters-in-law, right? Only _one_ of my siblings is an adult."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to get used to that."

Amanda smiled vaguely, her thoughts already drifting.

"Are you thinking about your mom?"

Amanda nodded. "Uh-huh. Does it make me a bad child that I left her in the hospital?"

"Mandy," Nick said seriously, looking her in the eyes. "It doesn't, and she told you to take care of Maggie and Leon. Plus, it isn't like she's alone: my mom is with her."

Indeed, when Audrey Amaro had gotten wind of what was going on, she offered to stay the night with Bedelia, just to make sure she wasn't alone. Bedelia immediately said yes, and that was that.

"Okay, I'll give you that, but when do you think Bluebell will start talking again?"

After leaving the hospital, Maggie Blue shut down and wouldn't make a sound, only communicating with signing. She heard them good all good and well, but it was if the events of the day had finally caught up with her and were affecting her. She was in shock.

"I'm hoping soon, but at least our children are all of the patient variety. I'll put some feelers out tomorrow to see if Liv, Alex, Casey, or Barba knows of someone who help Maggie."

Amanda nodded in agreement, too tired to apply any further brainpower to the matter for the time being.

After a few moments of just listening to Leon breathe, Amanda said to Nick, "My mother was hurt by my father today in one of the most worst ways imaginable today and she's in the hospital, recovering while he's in the wind. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted my parents to split, or at least have some kind of wake-up call, but I never once wanted it to be like this."

Carefully keeping Leon secure in one arm, Nick used the other arm to pull Amanda close. He even wrapped his free hand under her shirt, resting his hand on the underside of her taut skin. Like Amanda had said, Grace and Zion were sleeping, but it was comforting to know that they were there.

Nick placed a kiss on his girlfriend's brow. "Nobody would want this kind of event to happen to their parents at all."

"At least this kind of thing hasn't happened to _your_ parents, what with how crazy things are between the two of them."

"Thank God for _that."_

"Okay…"

Amanda had gone off to La La Land again, so Nick gently bumped his shoulder against hers.

"Where did you go just now? You've got a lot going through your head right now, don't you?"

"What if my mom ends up with another kid?"

"Then we love him or her as much as we love the rest of your siblings and all of our children. And we help Bedelia as much as we can, especially when she has a bad day."

Remembering her own rape, Amanda shuddered. "Those _will_ come."

"Then it's like I said: we do everything we can to help your mother and to show your little brother as much love as we show the rest of the little ones."

That sat well with Amanda because she snuggled closer to Nick and even felt herself relax.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you, Nick," she said softly. "But I'm so glad we met."

"So am I, Amanda. You changed my life."

"And you changed mine." she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Will you keep holding me?"

"If it will make you feel better."

"It will."

And it did.


	25. Hold On To Hope

The next morning, Olivia still had her head in the clouds about being pregnant because two hours before arriving at work, she and Alex booked an early-morning appointment with Alex's OBGYN to talk about the physical aspect of her getting pregnant and were able to meet with her. In fact, everything checked out for Olivia so well during the physical that they were able to start the beginning stages of the process, and if everything went well, she was going to have a very good chance of getting pregnant.

Had Olivia been completely absorbed in her own thoughts about her family life, she would have missed a very important phone call that came from her desk phone in her office.

It was from Audrey about Bedelia.

In the night, Bedelia had had a nightmare so extreme that it sent her into a panic attack strong enough to case need for a nasal oxygen supply and a need for a slightly longer hospital stay because her blood pressure had risen higher than the doctors would have liked, just from the fear alone.

Olivia was a little upset to be finding out about the panic attack so many hours after the fact, but when Audrey told her that she'd been the only one allowed to stay with Bedelia while she calmed and fell back asleep with help from powerful sleeping drugs, she let go of her anger and thanked Audrey for looking after Bedelia and filling her on the situation.

Things could have gone worse if anyone else had been there, no matter how good their intentions were.

* * *

"Aren't you two tired of coming to see me here?"

"No, mama, definitely not."

This was Amanda's response to her mother's inquiry when she and Olivia came to see her.

"Especially considering what happened the last time you got as panicked as this." Olivia added.

"I got scared into labor," Bedelia recalled with a sigh of resignation. "But I'm not pregnant now."

As the oldest person in the room, Audrey decided to be the voice of reason and interjected, "Bedelia, why don't you tell them what your nightmare was about?"

Bedelia didn't want to tell them because she was embarrassed that people kept coming to see her, but she knew that Olivia and Amanda had come for yet another visit not only because it was part of their job description but also because they were her family.

She spoke mostly to Amanda. "I dreamed that your father showed up from wherever the hell he is and took you and your sisters."

"Me, Kim, and Maggie, but not Leon? Is it because he doesn't care about him?"

"Probably. After he took you three, your whole squad looked for you, but bad things had happened by the time you were found. I can't even say." Bedelia took steadying breaths to calm herself. "If it hadn't for my blood pressure being so high, this wouldn't be such a big deal. I'm sorr—"

Her apology stopped abruptly when she caught sight of someone out in the hallway headed towards her suite, looking like he was on some kind of mission. Bedelia became so nervous that the blood pressure monitor she was hooked up to beeped warningly.

"What is it?" Audrey asked her.

"Who is _that?"_

She pointed in the direction of the person in question and they all followed her line of sight. Audrey didn't recognize the person, but Amanda and Olivia did, and they immediately grew hostile.

It was their number one, enemy, Sergeant Ed Tucker.

Amanda sighed heavily. "That's the head of the Internal Affairs Bureau, Sergeant Tucker. He doesn't like our squad."

"That's an understatement, compared to what Nick has told me over the years." Audrey mused, but she was already moving closer to Bedelia's bedside ready to protect her, or at the very least, be within reach if she wanted a hand to hold.

"Neither of you say a word unless he talks to you directly." Olivia told them seriously. "He looks for any little way in to try to shut the SVU down."

Bedelia and Audrey heeded Olivia's words and when Tucker entered the room, the pair noticed that a change came over Amanda and Olivia, it was as if hackles had gone up.

"What are you doing here, Tucker?" Amanda snarled, arms crossed over her big belly. "Neither of us have even done anything wrong!"

"I came here to tell you that if you toe the line in any way possible because this mess involves your family, I will report you to the Chief of Departments and get you transferred to the Brooklyn cold case unit. Everybody knows that your unit has a reputation for coloring well outside the lines, and I thought I'd show my face to tell you in person to make it stick, what with all the times you've been over to 1PP."

Amanda knew Tucker well enough to know that he was absolutely serious about the transfer threat. It _did_ spook her, but to her credit, she didn't let her fear show.

"How did you know that I was here, let alone with my mother? She 's never even _met_ you before, and just the sight of you caused her blood pressure to spike!"

"Rollins, you should know by now that I have eyes and ears everywhere." (Amanda made a _hmph!_ noise) "Now, if you don't mind, I need to speak to your mother. _Alone."_

"I sure as hell _do_ mind!" Amanda protested. "She's my _mother,_ and she's recovering from something traumati—"

"Amanda-June McLaine," Bedelia spoke over her daughter in an authoritative tone. "Please be quiet."

Immediately but in her place, Amanda closed her mouth and stepped to the side. In turn, Bedelia stared Tucker down and if looks could kill, he would have been dead on the spot.

"What do you want? Anything you say to me, you can say in front of everyone else because I will not send them out."

"Alright, fine—when was the last time you saw your husband?"

Except for the beeping of the monitors, it suddenly became so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop.

When Bedelia spoke, she grew seething. "Are you _joking?_ The last time I saw him was when he was attacking me and giving me the injuries that caused me to end up here!"

"So you haven't seen him since the assault occurred?"

"No!"

At this point, Olivia stepped forward. "Sergeant, get to the point before the doctors come."

"I'm asking you, Missus Rollins," Tucker said, redirecting his wording. "Because your husband is missing and nobody can find him."

Bedelia's eyes grew wide in horror and said nothing as her blood pressure monitoring began beeping even more.

"That's it." Olivia said in a "Blink, and I'll deck you!" tone. "Get out now."

She didn't wait for Tucker to respond, walking him all the way back out the elevators. In the mean time, Amanda turned to her mother.

"Mama," she said cautiously. "Tucker is a big bully with zero tact; he's even gone after me more than once. Can you say something?"

"I don't know what to say," Bedelia sighed heavily as she leaned back in her bed. "Except for if your father ever crosses my path again, I won't be entirely responsible if he gets hurt."

Amanda didn't say anything to that, but only because she knew that her mother was very serious. To her knowledge, Bedelia had never killed before, not even during her wild years in Loganville, but she was the kind of mother who would do _anything_ at all to protect her children.

* * *

Out in the hallway, after seeing Tucker off, Olivia called Fin to update him on the situation, almost immediately after she was finished and she pocketed her phone, the other elevator doors opened to reveal _Trevor Langan,_ disembarking and heading for her when he saw her.

"Trevor, _what_ are you doing here? Your timing is as odd as Casey Novak's!"

Even with the cast of his broken arm peeking out from underneath one of his jacket sleeves Trevor still had his trademark look of intimidation about him, but because he had sought out Olivia specifically and their infamous, longstanding rivalry had thawed out in recent years because of Noah, he met the agitation with a gentle tone.

"Word has already spread through the grapevine about Lionel Granger and his current case. His work is even being monitored by his superiors." Trevor explained. "Do you know if Detective Rollins' mother has a lawyer yet?"

"A lawyer?" Olivia asked blankly. "I know that Bedelia might need one for a personal matter about something else, but do you think that this could go to trial? Her husband is both a snake in the grass and a slippery eel."

"Even if it doesn't go to trial, she should still cover her bases, just in case, and yes—I _do_ know what's been going on."

"I appreciate you coming all the way down here, but your retainer is an arm and leg; Bedelia Rollins doesn't have as much money as I or your average clientele does."

"Olivia, if Missus Rollins _does_ want my help, I will be offering my services one hundred percent pro bono."

Olivia was taken aback because it wasn't often that Trevor did something like that.

"Why?"

"Because men like Odis Lee Rollins and Leionel Granger give the rest of the male gender a bad name, and because I want to do what's right before someone seedy like Kessler shows up and leads her astray."

It was clear that Olivia was grilling Trevor because she was extremely protective of Bedelia, but upon hearing the sincerity in Trevor's voice, she was immediately won over.

"Okay, I'll bring you to her, but you have to know that she's in a delicate stage, both physically and emotionally. You also just missed Ed Tucker."

"Oh, really?"

Olivia nodded. "Mhm, and I chased him out. Do you promise to be on your best behavior now?"

"Yes."

Pleased, Olivia beckoned for Trevor to follow her.

When Amanda saw Olivia return with Trevor Langan, she was immediately on her guard, but once they explained what was going on, she let herself relax because at last, something of good fortune was happening in her family's favor, a changing of the tides.

They were safe again.

For now.


	26. Kim And Maggie Blue

**_New Horizons Rehabilitation Center_**

 ** _758 South Bedford Street_**

 ** _Murray Hill_**

* * *

Of course, it wasn't comforting to know that Odis Lee was on the loose, but at least Kim was safe in rehab now. And she had successfully completed the first major stage of getting the drugs flushed out of her system, which was basically being locked in a room where only the basic necessities of a bed and toilet were provided because nothing else would be needed as the medicine coursed through her system, doing its job of eliminating the foreign, unwanted contents.

During parts of her lockdown, Kim felt like she was losing her mind because of how uncomfortable the detoxication was, but her happy memories of being pregnant and being with Lilyjoy and Rubyjane kept her mind from slipping away and giving up altogether.

Because she'd done so much cocaine in the past few years alone, she was going to be in rehab for quite awhile, but now that she could think somewhat straighter than she could have even a month before, she vowed that she was going to do everything in her power to stay on the road to recovery, even if it hurt or messed with her head.

This whole thing had been a wakeup call for her to finally be a better person.

* * *

As a treat for being so good and cooperative, Kim was let out into the back garden behind the rehab center for an hour to have some fresh air. The garden was a huge area made up of a grassy lawn, trees and plants, and many benches and walkways. It was contained by a high brick wall to discourage anyone from escaping, but Kim wasn't going anywhere because she wanted to be in rehab.

A few patients were already outside, each for their own, individual, private reasons, and each under the supervision of a nurse. Kim was the only patient by herself.

Spotting a bench in a patch of sunlight at the far end of the garden, Kim sat on it and basked in the warmth, enjoying the feel of it on her skin because it reminded her of her childhood in Georgia; she'd always been a social reject in the motor park because her own sister thought she was a pest and the other kids just didn't like her. As a result, when Kim wasn't at school, she could be see wandering the park all day, and in the company of her potbellied pig because he loved her unconditionally.

And even though Clyde was literally a pig, exploring with him had been better than being at home where her sister picked on her and parents fought constantly. He had never judged her, and he'd always been able to sniff out the best truffles for her to sell. Clyde had been her only real friend growing up, and until Kim had fallen into the company of her daughters' father as an adult, she had truly preferred being alone.

"Kimmie?"

She jumped at the sound of her name because nobody in the rehab center knew her by that nickname, and also because the person standing before her was the very last person she wanted to see.

"Daddy? What the hell are you doing _here?"_ Kim asked as he sat beside her. "And how _did_ you know I was here?"

"I have my ways, Kimberly Paige." said Odis Lee. "Now act casual."

Kim did her best, but it was hard, considering that her brain was already scrambling, trying to figure out how to get to a phone.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again.

"You might be getting another sibling from your mother in about nine months or so."

Kim's mouth immediately fell open for a few moments when she realized what she meant; because she'd been his companion, she was privy to his plans, whether she'd cared to hear them or not. Once she'd talked Odis Lee down from taking Leon back to Georgia, she'd thought that that was that and that he wouldn't bother trying to expand the family, but apparently, she'd been wrong…

"You _bastard."_ she snarled at her father. "I hope for the sake of the rest of the family that if I _do_ become a big sister again that the baby is a _girl_ and that she looks just like _mama."_

Odis Lee ignored his daughter's taunt. "I'm sure that your sister and her people are looking for me by now, but I just wanted to see you again."

 _"Why?"_ Kim hissed."You got me _hooked on drugs,_ called me _pathetic_ when I had to let my daughters go, made me bear witness to a _horrible_ act, and then _literally_ kicked and hit me while I was down! You gave even me a _collapsed lung!"_

Unfazed by Kim's mini-tirade, Odis Lee answered Kim's original inquiry cooly. "I came to see you because you're the last one left who doesn't want to spit on the ground at the sight of me, and also because you know better than to rat me out."

Recognizing a threat when she heard one, Kim shivered and worked even harder to not get up and turn tail, so she said, "Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about? I think I have to go inside soon."

"I have one last family reunion up my sleeve, although it's in the planning stages right now. If you rat on me, Kimberly Paige, I will find out and someone you care about could get hurt or not make it out alive."

Fearful tears formed in Kim's eyes and spilled down her cheeks at the second threat because as bad and as reckless as she had been in years past, now that she was a mother and had experienced everything from the joys of being able to feel her daughters kick, stretch, and hiccup inside her, to holding them and kissing them on the day they were born, all the way to letting them go so they could have better lives, she was beginning to see and feel things like love and forgiveness. Kim couldn't imagine being able to live with herself if someone important to her was hurt or killed just because she went to get help.

"Okay." she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I understand."

"You're damn right you do." Odis Lee stood and stretched. "Now, you be a good girl and you don't leave this facility."

Kim just nodded and watched her father leave.

Naturally, she was properly freaked out now and she knew that she should find a way to get word to Amanda or Olivia, but instead, the words to her favorite hymn, Down To The River, suddenly came into her head and she repeated the words over and over to herself. When she and Amanda were children and they were feeling scared, Bedelia would sing the hymn to them until they felt better because it was very peaceful and reassuring. It still comforted her, even after all these years.

Unfortunately, as soon as she finished, she felt her stomach churn unexpectedly and she vomited all over herself.

* * *

Bedelia was now very overtired after all the excitement and very uncomfortable because the swelling in her ankle had gone down enough to reveal that she had a bad sprain and would be hobbling around in a corrective cast and on crutches for quite sometime. Once the excitement tapered off, Audrey offered to look after the kids again, so she left to go relieve the babysitter. She also really wanted to see all the precious little ones and hug them.

After awhile, the events of the day she came to such a standstill that Olivia sent Amanda home early so she could be with her family. Amanda was all too happy for that, although she paid for her early arrival in the form of a Maggie Blue shadow.

She still wouldn't talk, even when Amanda brought her with her to the hospital to collect Bedelia, but one alarming thing did happen in the parking lot.

"Maggie Blue Alison Rollins," Bedelia said in a warning tone. "You get in the car now!"

Maggie Blue shook her head furiously as she stood between her mother, who was in the back seat of Amanda's car with the door open, and Amanda, who was almost struggling to conceal her amusement at the sassiness. Poor Bedelia, though, she had a short fuse today because she just wanted to go home and rest in her own bed and Maggie Blue's abrupt, cantankerous attitude was testing her patience.

For good measure, Maggie Blue blew a tongue raspberry at her mother.

Something about her father had suddenly popped into her head and she was now trying to figure out how to process it.

Bedelia's further agitation cut through her thoughts. "Maggie Blue, I am _tired,_ and sissy can't pick you up anymore, so you _really_ have to shape up and get in the car so we can go home."

At the mention of the 'h' word, she finally put the last piece together and accidentally wet her pants because it startled her so badly.

As Bedelia and Amanda gaped at her in surprise, Amanda's phone rang.

"Yeah, sarge?" she answered when she saw it was Olivia.

Slightly taken aback by the strained tone in her underling's voice, she cautiously asked, "Is this a good time?"

Amanda laughed hollowly. "I'm not sure because I think Maggie Blue just had a breakthrough about why she went mute and she hasn't said anything verbally yet, but she just wet her pants here in the hospital parking lot."

"I think I might be able to help with her, actually; I put out some feelers and someone responded to me. Do you think you and Bedelia will be able to make it over here soon?"

"Half the battle is getting Maggie Blue into the car, but I'll do my best to get us there in a timely fashion."

It took an additional ten minutes to break through Maggie Blue's hemming and hawing after Amanda hung up with Olivia to get her into the car, they left eventually.


	27. Friday's Child

**There is a line of French, here, but blame Google Translate and spare me the lesson :P**

* * *

Bedelia's bad mood improved a great deal improved a great deal when they got to the precinct because though Maggie Blue still wasn't talking, she didn't reuse help to get cleaned up and changed into clean clothes. Her mood also improved when Nick magically appeared with a wheelchair for her at Amanda's car, and after helping her into it and making sure her damaged ankle was elevated, he personally pushed her all the way up to Olivia's office, himself.

"Well, I'm impressed." Olivia said when the family arrived. "You actually beat some of the people that I called."

"Who is it?" Amanda asked.

"I can't believe you haven't figured it out, Amanda."

Fin added, "Nick still hasn't."

Before the couple could say anything to that, there was a knock on the open door.

"Is there any room for us?"

They all turned to see Alex, Casey, and Trevor filing in.

"Do you three travel in a pack?" Bedelia asked, very taken aback.

"Sometimes, but not often." Alex responded cheekily before looking over at her fiancée. "Olivia, I think it would be best if we all headed over towards the interview rooms."

"Right." Olivia nodded when she realized what her wife-to-be was communicating. "Come on, everyone. Let's go."

With Alex leading the way, they all headed towards a different part of the precinct and coming into a part of the building she'd never seen before. She'd seen the interrogation rooms, but the interview room was extremely different because just from a glance through the mirror, she saw that everything inside was kid-friendly.

When they all crowded into the small room, there stood in front of the interview room door a kind-faced, sharply-dressed man, and though Bedelia didn't recognize him, Amanda did.

 _"George?_ What are you doing here?" Amanda hugged him briefly. "I thought you were in _Oklahoma!"_

"Things change, but that is neither here nor there at the moment." he told her. "Will you introduce me?"

Remembering that her mother and sister were watching, Amanda turned to Bedelia.

"Mama, this is Doctor George Huang, and he's a psychiatrist and FBI profiler who has been associated with our squad since 2001, I believe."

George nodded in confirmation as he shook Bedelia's hand. "I was just being brought up to speed by Alex, Casey, and Trevor because they wanted my opinion on things. When Olivia called to ask for help with Maggie Blue, I thought I would lend a hand, if that's alright."

George's calming personality alone won Bedelia over immediately, but because everyone around her trusted him, she decided to, as well.

"Alright, but when she's nervous, she speaks ASL as her second language to get around her speech delay."

"I work very well with children, and I have an advanced degree in child psychology." George told her. "And amongst other languages, I'm very fluent in ASL, too."

Satisfied, Bedelia turned to her youngest daughter and explained the situation to her in term that she would understand. By the end, Maggie Blue understood perfectly and gave George a thumb's up to show her approval of him.

Upon entering the interview, Maggie Blue was happy to see the kid-friendly environment, but she was positively thrilled at the sight of crayons and drawing paper spread out on the table in the middle of the room. Though Maggie Blue was going to be three in less than a month now, she had advanced motor, thinking, and cognitive skills for someone her age, and they were best seen when she drew, an hobby she did at every opportunity.

"Maggie," George said after a few minutes of watching her color and seeing that something was already forming. "You love to draw, don't you?"

Nod.

"What are you drawing?"

 _Frannie,_ she signed.

"Who is Frannie?"

 _Mandy's dog._

"She's important to you?"

Nod.

"Can you tell me why?"

Maggie Blue set aside the crayon she was holding and used both hands to sign, _She saved me because she loves me, and I love her._

"What did she save you from?"

At that, Maggie Blue ignored the man sitting across from her and resumed her activity.

George waited a little bit again, wanting to give her a chance to relax before he tried again. "What's your favorite color?"

Maggie Blue pointed to the dark blue crayon in the array beside her.

"Blue is my favorite color, too." (Maggie Blue looked at him for a brief second and gave him a dazzling smile of approval) "I like it because it makes me think of the sky on a sunny day. Maybe you can add to the picture of Frannie why you like the color blue; will you do that for me, please?"

Maggie Blue hesitated for a second because she didn't like the memories she was feeling, but still, she picked up the blue crayon and concentrated on fulfilling George's request.

When she was done, she handed him the picture, and though it was crude, George's years of experience of working with children of all ages and all backgrounds helped him realize what he was looking at. His patient's cooperation, however, was most key at this point.

"Maggie Blue, if this is Frannie," George pointed to the dog. "Then what is this?"

Every bone in Maggie Blue's body was telling her not to tell, but… this was what she'd remembered that made her shut down and wet herself. She pushed past her fear because she knew that she was in a safe place.

When she began to use her hands to answer, George put one of his hands over hers for a second.

"Use your voice." he instructed her.

Maggie Blue rolled her eyes theatrically and said in a slightly hoarse tone, "It's water."

"You like water, Maggie Blue?"

 _"Rivers."_ she said in a tone of correction. "And so do mama and daddy."

On the other side of the glass, Bedelia gasped as she had an epiphany.

Amanda looked to her mother, immediately surprised when she backed up her wheelchair a foot so she could process what she was thinking.

"Mama?" Amanda asked cautiously. "Why is the river so important to Maggie?"

Bedelia didn't answer, but instead spoke to Trevor, who was nearest the two-way mirror. "She'll be humming something now; can you hear it?"

Trevor looked back at his client's daughter, and just as predicted, the little one was humming something. She wasn't half bad, either.

He looked back at Bedelia. "She's humming Down To The River. Does this mean anything?"

"Yeah—it's the hymn I've sung to all of my children time and again when they're afraid because it calms them. I just didn't know until now that she finally has it memorized."

Casey held up her hands in a time-out position. "Why would remembering a _river_ send her into shock, though?"

Carisi tacked on, "Did something traumatic happen to either of you near one?"

Suddenly, it was Amanda who gasped as a lightbulb went off in her own head.

"What?" queried Nick, feeling bewildered and left out.

Still talking to her mother, Amanda asked, "Est-ce à propos de la qui souhaitent?"

There was a beat of silence and when Casey asked in a pointed manner, "For those of us who _don't_ speak French, please?"

"Amanda asked if this has anything to do with the wishing river." Olivia clarified before turning to the pair in question as she rapped on the window with her knuckles, signaling George to come join them. "You guys, _what_ is the wishing river?"

Amanda waited until George entered the room and shut the door behind him to explain.

"Back in Georgia, maybe ten minutes from our motor park, there's a very nice river, and saying this will make me sound even more southern than I already am, but yes, there was even a swimming hole. The river is called Grey Beck—nobody knows why—and my mom would take my sister and I there all the time until we were old enough to go by ourselves."

"Not only that," Bedelia added. "But when we lived in Georgia, Grey Beck was Maggie's favorite place in the world because she loves nature."

"So is _that_ why you two chose to go to The Ramble?" inquired Olivia.

Bedelia nodded, her hands falling to her stomach, for lack of anything else to do with them. "I even took Maggie to Grey Beck to tell her that Leon was on the way, and—oh, I'm _such_ an idiot!"

More pieces were falling in to place in her head, and now she was just ashamed for not thinking of it sooner.

"Talk to us." wheedled Alex. "We're _all_ on your side."

Bedelia spoke to the room at large. "I've known my husband since we were about five-and-a-half, and we were inseparable for many, many years. Just before I found out Amanda was on the way, we went to the river, just to hang out because it was better than being in the park. We made a plan to run away, to follow the river as far as it went."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I got sick literally the next day and realized that I was expecting Amanda. Every time after that, though, whenever my husband would get angry or just wanted to be left alone, I could always find him somewhere by the river, camped out on the banks of Grey Beck because even to this day, he's just that predictable. Maggie gets that from him, actually."

George worked his way into the conversation. "Are you saying that your husband knows how to survive in the woods, even if the woods we're talking about now is just Central Park?"

"Yes, and I told Maggie about how her daddy and I would hang out at the river, so that's why she remembered."

It seemed that the epiphanies were spreading because now it was Casey's turn. "And even though they don't get along, she was protecting him without even meaning to. She realized that, and it made her confused and scared."

Bedelia nodded. "Yes to all of that, and I can guarantee all of you right now that if you look hard enough, you'll find at least a _trace_ of my husband near the area of The Ramble that's closest to The Lake. He's dangerous, though, and he knows to fight because I taught him for years."

"Y-you know how to fight?"

"Yeah, I do, and I still can because one of my parents did it for fun and the other was an MMA fighter. They _made_ me learn, and I taught my husband because my best friend just didn't approve of that." Bedelia shuddered at the memories. "All of that is to say that whoever ends up looking for my husband should be armed and on their guard because he can make a weapon out of almost anything."

Well, Olivia thought. If this isn't a break in the case, then I don't know what is.

Bedelia's voice brought her back to earth as she formulated a plan, although she wasn't talking to her, but George.

"Thank you _so_ much for getting Maggie Blue to talk again. She's normally a chatterbox."

George smiled, just thankful he knew that his new friend was going to leave the situation happy again. "You're very welcome, and it looks like Maggie Blue cracked the case wide open, so I'm going to open the door and let her out, alright?"

Bedelia nodded, a few moments later, Maggie Blue came zooming out the door and, mindful of her mother's injury, clambered into her lap. If Bedelia had had her way, though, Maggie Blue wouldn't have been touching her at all because the memories and sensations of what Odis Lee had just done to her were still very fresh in her brain. But as was her way, Maggie Blue just met her with hugs and cuddles. Getting her mind picked by George had worn her out.

The next thing Bedelia knew, her baby daughter was hugging her around her middle and already smiling about something as she quickly succumbed to sleep. Maggie Blue was the picture of innocence, and it prompted her mother to give her an extra hug and kiss because it reminded her that even though her daughter had been born during a time of chaos, it was quite possible to overcome even hardest of circumstances and be joyful.

Olivia spoke to Carisi, the person standing nearest her. "Will you please take our guests home and return post haste?"

Carisi had a soft spot for looking out for mothers and children, so with a nod, he said, "Sure thing, sarge," and worked on steering Bedelia and Maggie Blue out of the room.

Olivia addressed Trevor next. "Will you please call Rafael and ask him to come here? He won't want to miss this."

Trevor nodded as he took his phone out of his coat pocket. "Anything else?"

"Please come join Doctor Huang, Fin, the councilors and I at the media center when you're done; it's going to be all hands on deck for this part."

Trevor nodded in understanding and left the room with George, Fin, Alex, and Casey behind him, although heading for the place she'd mentioned.

Olivia counted everyone on her fingers and then realizing that two of her ducklings hadn't passed before her, she turned back to see who she'd left behind—Nick and Amanda. They'd been quiet for the past few minutes.

"Rollins? Amaro?" she questioned. "Are you guys okay?"

"I was just about to ask," Nick answered as at the same time, Amanda reassured, "We're fine, sarge."

Seeing the way that Amanda's hands were gliding in constant motion over the swell of her middle, as well as the dazed expression on the blond's face, Olivia suddenly had a very good idea of what was happening.

"I'll give you two five minutes." she said before leaving and closing the door behind her.

When the couple was alone, a red flag instantly went up for Nick when he saw that Amanda's mouth was now hanging open in slight surprise and that a tear was trailing down the right side of her face.

"Hey, mi amor." Nick said gently as he wiped her tear and guided her eyes to meet his. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." she said truthfully and then gave him a smile that made him go weak in the knees. "Here."

Amanda took Nick's big strong hands and held them to the left top side of her middle, gently pressing down as she looked up at him in awe.

"Can you feel that?" she asked him.

Nick's breath had already caught in his throat as he realized what those hard, repetitive thumps were beneath his palms, but he nodded and kissed Amanda, his heart filling up with joy and affection.

"Grace and Zion are telling us hello in the best way possible." Nick touched his forehead to his love's as his tone dropped to a whisper. "I thought I loved you four second ago, but now I love you even more."

Amanda smiled as she cast her arms over Nick's shoulders. "You are the love of my life, mi querido, and nothing will ever change that."

"Thank you, Amanda."

"I love you for always, and so do Grace and Zion."

So in love with the woman in front of him, Nick just kissed her again and pulled her close, happy to have this moment with her.


	28. Wait, What?

Olivia could tell that Fin was really itching to go out into the field, but once they all devised a plan about how to look for Odis Lee (and hopefully draw him out), Olivia opted to stay behind because very suddenly out of the blue, she started feeling unwell and the last thing she needed was for her body to start besting her in a place where she wouldn't have a place to hide and cope in private.

So… Fin got his wish and led the charge. Carisi, along with a few uniforms, tagged along.

A little while into the boys' departure, however, Olivia wasn't feeling any better.

"Sarge?"

Amanda's concerned tone brought Olivia from her thoughts and she gave her her attention.

"Yes, Rollins?"

"You're looking a little green; everything okay?"

Olivia stood up. "I'm just going to go to my office for a few minutes. Will you send Alex in my direction when she comes back from the bathroom?"

Amanda had actually been watching Olivia all day and was now beginning to suspect something was different about her in a physical aspect. Pregnant was the word that came to mind, but Amanda was going to keep that to herself.

Still, she responded, "Sure thing, sarge," and turned back to her previous activity.

When Olivia entered her office, she immediately closed the blinds and shut the door behind her—no need for looky-lous. She then took off her shoes and then sat on the couch with her legs arranged in a diamond formation.

She knew _exactly_ what was happening with her body.

Olivia looked down at her midriff and touched a hand to it, her heart going light. If nature had taken its course from the procedure she'd undergone, the very beginnings of baby was growing in her womb. She really wanted this to be the case.

"Come on, now." she said softly, caressing her middle with her thumb. "Please be good for mommy, okay? If you don't make me puke, I promise we'll have something yummy to eat before bed."

Still, Olivia's nausea persisted.

"Liv?"

She looked up to see her fiancée standing in the doorway, looking even more concerned than Amanda had.

"Come on in, beautiful," Olivia told her. "But please close the behind you."

Alex abided by the request and then sat beside her.

"Feeling sick, huh?"

"Just a little, but Amanda noticed. Do we tell her?"

"Not unless she guesses before we tell everyone else."

Olivia blew out a breath of air. "Sounds good to me."

"Lean forward And hold your ankles for me," Alex coached. "Take some deep breaths now, okay?"

Olivia followed Alex's instructions and soon found herself being treated to a soothing back rub. She even let out an appreciative mewl when Alex even snaked a hand under her shirt so that she was now caressing her bare skin. In respond to the sound, Alex kissed Olivia.

Throughout Alex's pregnancy so far, whenever the hormones had gotten the best of her, Olivia would be there with plenty of soothing words, back rubs and kisses.

As it turned out, that particular brand of treatment worked on Olivia, too.

"How's that?" Alex kissed her love again after a few minutes when she physically felt Olivia's body relax under her touch. "Better?"

"Yes, and thank you." Olivia told her. "How have _you_ managed?"

Alex held her in her arms. "With lots of patience and support from you, of course. It's going to be a long process, but I've got your back because even after all of these years and even in the times when we were apart, you've always had mine. Plus, this time next year, Noah and Rachel will be big siblings."

Olivia immediately broke into a grin at that. "Yes, they will, and they'll have a baby sister named Eden Sophia."

"Aww," Alex cooed, instantly turning to mush. "I love that name already. You really think we'll have one boy and two girls?"

"Yep, and they'll all adore each other. Noah will even be Rachel and Eden's bodyguard… unless Rachel or Eden turn out to be tomboyish like me."

Alex shuddered. "Noah is already a baby jungle cat, but if we _do_ get a tomboy, I hope that whoever is left gets my super-girly ways. It would be nice to have at least one kid who would ask me to paint their nails."

Olivia and Alex both had special hidden talents, and Alex's best one was that she was very good at painting nails. When Olivia didn't go to the nail salon, Alex would experiment on her, and that explained why Olivia's nails were currently white at the moment. Alex's own were a pale shade of lavender.

Just to see what she'd say, Olivia asked, "But Allie, what if Rachel and Eden don't care and _Noah_ asks you to give him rainbow nails a few years down the road from now?"

"Then I'll sit him in my lap and show him all of my techniques. I'll ask him if he wants his toes done, too."

Olivia kissed Alex this time. "I love you so much right now."

Feeling better, Olivia stood and straightened her appearance. When she looked back at Alex, she saw her looking at her heart eyes.

"What, babe?" Olivia asked, turning red.

"That look of heart eyes that you've started giving me ever since I've been pregnant—I get it now." Alex told her happily. "And you already look great, Liv."

If it was possible, Olivia turned redder. "Please—that's just the extra hormones racing through your body complimenting the extra ones coursing through mine."

Before Alex could give so much as a retort, there was a knock at the door and Olivia opened it to find Amanda, looking like someone had lit a fire under her.

"What is it, Rollins?" Olivia asked, letting her in, but once more closing the door.

"There's a call for you on Line One, but sarge, it's from the facility in Murray Hill where Kim is, and the person placing the call for her has made it known that Kim specifically asked for you, me, and Alex!"

A few moments later, the three of them were gathered around Olivia's desk phone with it on speaker, and once they heard the phone being handed off and a door being closed on the other end of the room, Amanda called out to her sister.

"Kimberly Paige, you there?"

When the reply came, Kim sounded sad, scared, and worn out. "Are Olivia and Alex there, too?"

"Yes, we are." confirmed Olivia.

Added Alex, "You're on speaker with us, and we're in Olivia's office with the door shut. What's wrong?"

"My dad just came for a visit." (hearing that, Amanda sat down hard in Olivia's chair because this development made her legs give out) "I didn't know who else to call, but I also don't know how he found me or why he didn't get stopped by anyone. He could even get mad at me for calling, and my dad when he's extremely mad _isn't_ a fun experience."

"Kim, I will come talk to you," Olivia found herself saying as she began collecting her things. "But please just tell us what happened, alright?"

Kim proceeded to give a detailed account of the visit.

"What do I do?" she asked when she was finished. "I want to live so I can get better, but I wouldn't be able to handle it if he went after anyone else we know _again!"_

"We won't let him touch you for this." Amanda told her sister. "Do you know where daddy went?"

"Well, he loves water, specifically rivers, and this _is_ New York City, so maybe Central Park?" she offered. "Sorry—that's the best I got."

"That's actually really helpful." said Alex.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked, sounding like a small child searching for some kind of reassurance.

"One hundred percent."

There was a pause on Kim's end of the line and then a heavy sigh. "I gotta go now. Olivia?"

The older woman responded to her name being said. "Yes, Kim?"

"Do you promise that you're coming?"

"Yes, I do—I'll be on my way to Murray Hill when we hang up here."

Finally reassured, Kim thanked them and hung up. Amanda ended the call on their end and looked up at the other two.

"What now?" she queried.

"You're going to stay here and hold the fort down with Nick, alright?" she asked as she helped Amanda to her feet and steadied her when she gave a small wobble.

"Got it." Amanda replied.

"And me?" Alex wanted to know.

"You're going to come with me to see Kim; something tells me having an attorney on this expedition will be a good idea."

Pleased to be included, but even more pleased to not have to go back to her office, Alex agreed to this and proceeded with Amanda to follow Olivia back out and over to the media center where Nick was with Casey, Barba, Trevor, and George yet.

No sooner had Olivia Updated them, though, than a cell phone rang suddenly, making all of them jump in surprise.

"Who's phone is that?" Amanda asked.

"Mine." Casey said, touching a hand to the underside of her bump as she fished the device out of her pocket. "Mía doesn't like it because the sound and the vibrations woke her from her nap and now she's kicking like the sky is falling."

The redhead was all smiles as she said that, and when she saw who the caller was, she smiled even more. But when she caught up with a stream of nervous and scared babble that sounded in her when she answered, her expression immediately turned to one of motherly worry. She even put a hand over her heart.

"Hana, sweetie, you _have_ to slow d—you guys are _where,_ and you sprained _what?"_

Pause.

"I'm with my detective squad, but I'll be along with some of them shortly."

Another pause.

"No, Hana, _we_ will come to you. Do _not_ go anywhere."

Casey paused a third time, listening to Hana.

"That's right. We'll see you soon."

When she hung up and looked at the others, she had the appearance of an injured puppy.

"Who is Hana?" Amanda asked.

"Her full name is Hanakatoba Kano, and she's a friend of mine and Rafael's, but she's also the business partner… and the _fiancée_ of my little sister."

Amanda and Nick digested that news just fine, but only because they didn't have the decade-plus long history like Casey had with Olivia and Alex, but everyone else immediately turned to Olivia to see how she'd react.

She held her hands in the 'time out' position and exclaimed, "You have a _sister,_ Acacia? Since _when?"_

Casey rolled her eyes. "We're thirteen years apart, and she's twenty-four now, but she has her own life. If you guys can believe it, she's a florist."

"Sweet Jesus." Olivia briefly pinched the bridge of her nose. "You said once your dad's name is Birk, right? Like the tree?"

"Yes, and my mom's name is Daisy. Both sets of my grandparents were hippies, and that's why my parents have nature names."

"And if _your_ actual name is Acacia, then your sister has a plant name, too, doesn't she?"

By now, Casey was just wanting to melt into the floor. "I'm not even kidding, but her name is Azalea."

Immediately, Nick wanted to make a cheeky observation about Casey actually being an Acacia with parents named Juniper and Daisy, well as a sister named Azalea who was engaged to a woman whose name was quite literally a flower, but Amanda cut him off before he had a chance to begin.

"Casey, _why_ did Hana call about Azalea?"

"She said that Azalea was just jumped and raped in the park by an angry white man with heavy southern accent."

"Oh, my God. This is a definitely not a coincidence.

Casey nodded in agreement and turned to George. "Will you come with me to see Azalea? She's a bit special, but not like Maggie Blue."

George stood and helped her up. "Of course I'll come."

Olivia interjected, "Not that I don't trust you two to handle yourselves when you team up, but you _are_ going to go visit a rape victim, so take one of my detectives, please."

They left quickly with Amanda.


	29. Hanakatoba And Azalea

Amanda, Casey, and George arrived to the hospital very quickly and were led to a curtained-off area of the ER to find Hanakatoba Kano sitting up on a bed and wearing a cloth hospital gown. Her skin was marked up with various bruises and scrapes, but she was also hooked up to a few different monitors, and some of her wounds were already wrapped up in gauze bandages.

As for Hanakatoba's legs, except for a scraped knee, her left leg was fine, but the right one was propped up on a pillow, and in Amanda's opinion, its very swollen and bright red state in the ankle area suggested that it was actually broken instead of sprained. Hanakatoba also looked like she'd been crying and only just stopped, but when she saw Casey, she offered her the smallest of smiles.

"I'm _so_ glad to see you, Case—my parents have been contacted, but they're on their way over from Chelsea, and yours are coming from Woodlawn, so they might be awhile."

"Hana, I'm so happy that you called me, and I'm _so_ sorry for what happened to you and Zay."

"Thank you." The young woman was definitely upset, but she didn't express it the way most people did because she processed and felt emotion a little differently. "Who are your friends?"

Casey indicated her companions in turn. "These are two of mine and Rafael's colleagues, Doctor George Huang and Detective Amanda Rollins."

Hanakatoba was polite enough, considering what she'd just been through, but she was wary of George.

"I don't mean to be rude, but are you here to talk to me or Azalea?"

"Azalea, but you're welcome to have a chat with me whenever you like, if you feel the need."

Hanakatoba found comfort in that mostly because she had been raised by immigrant parents from Japan and she was the first person in her family to be born in the states. As much as she loved her parents and as much as they meant well, they believed in things like not spilling your woes to any kind of doctor. Doctor Huang was trustworthy, and Hanakatoba liked that, plus he was a friend of Casey's.

Amanda stepped forward with her pen and notepad at the ready. "Do you prefer Hana or Hanakatoba?"

"Well, 'round about everyone calls me Hana, so you can, too."

"Okay, Hana. Can you take us through what happened?"

And so Hanakatoba told the Amanda and the others about how she and Azalea had been walking through the park together because it was their first day off together in awhile, when all of a sudden, a crazy-looking man popped out of the bushes on the side of the trail and began ranting and raving about how they'd gotten too close to 'his part of the park.' Azalea was held at knifepoint while Hanakatoba was forced to run away without looking back. She didn't want to leave her fiancée behind, she also didn't want to upset the stranger further, so she turned tail and ran.

Unfortunately, she tripped on a tree root and tumbled all the way down a hill on the side of the path. When she came to a stop, she was on the bank of the water, bleeding and broken.

Amanda spoke first when the story was done, holding out an iPad mini to her with a picture on the screen. "Is this him?"

The picture was a mugshot of her father.

Hanakatoba didn't need looking at it twice. "Yeah, that's him. He had a southern accent just like yours; are you his daughter?"

"Yes."

The young woman sighed, wishing that that could have at least surprised her. "I hope you catch him soon. Have I helped?"

"In a great way, and you survived today. That's what matters most."

Casey spoke up suddenly. "Hanakatoba, I'm only going to ask once, but why isn't Violet here?"

"She's been with your parents at the shop almost all day now. You know how much she loves it there."

George politely queried, "Who is Violet?"

"The light of mine and Azalea's lives, but she was born during one of Azalea's previous relationships. She's four now."

"Do you have legal guardianship over her at all?"

"I actually do, and I'm going to formally adopt her when Azalea and I tie the knot. Lettie starts kindergarten in the fall." Hanakatoba confirmed, proud of that last fact. "She looks just like Azalea, and Azalea looks just like Casey; you'll probably see her if you stick around long enough."

The thought of her daughter seeing her and Azalea both so hurt brought a fresh round of tears to Hanakatoba's eyes, but just when she thought she was going to lose it, a doctor arrived to tell her that she was going to be transferred to a private room to see her family, and also to wait for the swelling in her leg to go down. She begged Casey to come with her, and Casey didn't have the willpower to say no, so tagged along.

That left Amanda and George to find Azalea's exam room, but that happened quickly.

It caused some serious déja vù for Amanda, reminding her of when she'd encountered Maggie Blue and Frannie Mae after Bedelia's attack. Azalea Novak was refusing to cooperate with the nurses who had been assigned to do the rape kit, and while she wasn't being violent, she was making a show of cowering in a corner; she needed to collect herself and catch her breath, but was having a hard time communicating that—she was autistic, and while she could speak, there were times when she shut down because she was feeling overwhelmed. This was one of those times. She was also feeling agitated by the itchy material of her hospital gown.

Amanda found herself marveling over how it was possible that Azalea was even making herself so small because if her long, lanky legs were anything to go by, then she was probably above average height for a woman, just like her sister was. Azalea's arms and legs had bruises all over them, and Amanda knew from her own experience that those external injuries were the least of her worries.

She spoke gently as she approached the injured woman. "Azalea, my name is Amanda, and I'm a detective. I also happen to know your sister and even work with her."

Azalea looked up at that. "Really?"

"Mhm. She's with Hana right now, and they're waiting for your parents, hers, and Violet."

Azalea shook her head furiously. "Lettie can't see me until I'm in regular clothes. Nope, nope, nope."

"Okay, Azalea. I'll make sure that she won't see you until you're ready."

This time, Azalea gave a nod of appreciation and understanding, but she was also thinking hard about what to say next. Remembering what Casey had said about her sister being different and having already noticed the younger woman's minor but slower speech pattern, Amanda waited patiently.

"Will you stay with me?" Azalea finally asked. "Please?"

"For as long as you want."

"But please don't touch me. Not yet."

"Alright, I won't."

Satisfied, Azalea got to her feet and dusted herself off. She was at her full height now, and if Amanda had to hazard a guess, Azalea was probably just under six feet tall. Nevertheless, for one so tall and and injured, Azalea crossed the room in a graceful manner and maneuvered herself onto the bed, even beckoning Amanda over.

"I thank you. I… huh…"

"What's up?"

Azalea surveyed her. "You're his daughter, aren't you? Please tell me the truth—people pity me or sugarcoat things because I'm different, and I don't like that. "

That's two for two, Amanda thought, recalling how Hanakatoba had already guessed. "Yes, I am, and I'll understand if you want someone besides me."

"But I don't."

"Why?"

"Because you have kind eyes, detective, and," Azalea nodded towards Amanda's big middle. "You're a mommy, too."

Amanda touched a hand to her middle just in time to feel Grace and Zion jumping around, and unable to stop herself, she smiled because the feeling was one that she would never get tired of.

"Is it a boy or is it a girl?"

"One of each, and they're extra jumpy right now, but I don't mind."

Azalea actually smiled. "Violet has been asking us for a brother…"

She let out a sleep-filled yawn.

"Hey, now." Amanda said quickly. "Stay awake!"

Azalea blinked hard and shook her head. "The nurses have to come back?"

"Mhm. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I have to be, I guess, but detective?"

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't mind if you held my hand now."

Amanda did a mental fist-pump when she heard that because it meant that she had gained Azalea's trust. She hadn't been expecting that at all.

"I'll be happy to hold your hand."

By the time Azalea's exam was over and she was dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, she was more awake and game with having a chat with Amanda and George about her version of events.

With encouragement from them, Azalea was able to tell them what had happened to her, all the way down to where Odis Lee had raped her—it was a clearing near the water, but still hidden from passerby because it was behind the dense foliage and a little ways away from the path. Azalea even identified the same picture Hanakatoba had, but the real breakthrough came when she told Amanda that while the attack had been happening, she'd been able to see the very top of The Plaza Hotel across the street, looming high over the trees of Central Park.

After Amanda and George saw to it that that Azalea was reunited with her family, Amanda called Fin to give him an update since he and his team hadn't left the park yet.

When she hung up, she found herself wishing, hoping, and praying that her father would be caught soon.


	30. August Seventh

Amanda appreciated that her squad was doing everything they could do to try to catch her father so they could try him for everything he'd done, but she began to get worried when, even after help from Bedelia and Maggie Blue, and Azalea and Hanakatoba, Odis Lee had managed, yet again, to evade the SVU. They'd found his makeshift home on the bank of The Lake in Central Park, but zero trace of their target.

Only because IAB stepped in, the sixteenth precinct was forced to move on to other cases.

All was quiet until four weeks later, on August seventh.

* * *

Just after the end of a very easy open-and-shut case and a record time for completing post-case paperwork, the atmosphere in the SVU squad room was that of relaxed because it was Friday, and because they were each looking forward to the next day because it was Maggie Blue's third birthday and Bedelia, who was doing a little better than she had been since her attack, was going to be throwing her a birthday party, so as to get her life back to some kind of normality. Her therapist had suggested it.

And because everybody had worked so efficiently, they were all able to leave early.

Fin and Carisi left first, leaving Amanda, Nick, and Olivia As the remainders.

While Nick attended to a few last-minute things, Amanda gathered her things and went to say goodbye to Olivia, but when she reached her friend's office, she saw her sitting on the couch as she did a breathing exercise while holding both hands in a strategic way over an area of her lower abdomen.

Amanda immediately recognized what Olivia was doing, because she'd done it herself so many times in recent months.

Amanda knocked on the open door. "Sarge?"

The older woman smiled when she saw her. "Hey, Rollins. Excited to go home to see your babies?"

"Very." Amanda stepped forward and nodded towards Olivia's middle. "When are you due, Liv? I know that look on your face and what you're doing with your hands."

Not even trying to deny Amanda's question, Olivia grinned bashfully. "In April. We talked about Noah and Rachel having a sibling, specifically one close to Rachel's age, so she can have a playmate, but I'm not that far along, so please keep this to yourself."

"I will," Amanda promised. "But is it okay if I hug you?"

"Of course." Olivia beckoned her closer. "I'd love that."

Amanda sat with her and gave her a heartfelt hug.

"I'm so happy for you, Liv." Amanda told her as she pulled away. "I'm _so_ happy for you, that you're getting your happy ending. You've always been so busy helping me out with my drama and my family problems, but now you've got peace in your life and a family of your own. I'm so happy for you, because you deserve it."

"Thanks, Amanda—that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me!"

Amanda beamed like a smile child receiving praise, but then she wrinkled her nose and blew out a breath.

Olivia arched an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

"Feel this." Amanda took Olivia's hand and held it against the left upper side of her middle, near her navel. "Grace and Zion are getting so big that they can't change positions as easily anymore."

"When was the last time they did?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

Even still, Olivia was in awe—she felt Rachel kick and turn in Alex's womb all the time, but feeling two babies at the same time was very surreal.

"Who's this pressing their feet against my hand?"

"That would be baby Grace—she was asleep, but Zion woke her up because he's kicking, too."

"Do they kick each other?"

Amanda nodded and moved Olivia's hand to the middle of her big bump and gently pressed down. With her own free hand, the detective even gave her bump a tickle. This drew a flurry of activity from both babies.

"They've been decent and polite for the last few days, but last week, they were really going at it. These are their 'Mama, we're super hungry, so hurry up!' kicks."

Olivia moved her hand away and asked curiously, "You can tell their kicks apart?"

"Oh, yes."

"But how?"

Amanda winked. "You'll be learning, soon enough, but if you're _really_ curious, ask Alex. I can guarantee that she has Rachel figured out by now."

"Are you passing on motherly advice to me?" Olivia asked in amusement.

"Something like that, yeah."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and they looked up to see Nick standing in the doorway, completely ready to go. He greeted Olivia when she waved him in and then turned to Amanda.

"You ready, babe?"

"Absolutely." Amanda held her hands out to him and made a beckoning motion. "Please help me up—Grace and Zion are getting heavy."

"Okay, come on." he pulled her to her feet and steadied her. "You good?"

"Uh-huh." Amanda looked over at Olivia. "Need anything else before we go?"

Olivia shook her head, her mind already thinking about what she was going to do with her family when she got home. "Nope—go ahead and go; Alex, Noah, and I will see you tomorrow at Bedelia's for Maggie's party."

Amanda and Nick waved goodbye and left, leaving Olivia alone with her thoughts.

Hours later, over at the house on Azalea Street, all of the children were fast asleep, and Amanda and Nick were laying together in bed, just enjoying a little bit of time to themselves.

"Nick," Amanda sighed as Grace and Zion woke up from a nap and began stretching and rolling their limbs, bored. "I love the twins very, very much, but I don't want to be pregnant again for a few more years."

Nick almost blanched. "Beautiful, we have almost half a dozen kids, and you have a brother and sister who are here so often that we keep clothes and toys for them—that's already seven kids we keep track of, regularly. Are you saying that you want more?

Amanda nodded. "Just one more baby, but not any time soon, so go ahead and breathe."

Nick did and propped himself up in his side, so as to look at his love better. "I'm all for having a big family because I've always wanted one, but why do you want one? Did we officially say that Grace and Zion would be it?"

"No, we didn't, but we agreed on giving them names that started with g and z as a nod to Gil and Zara." explained Amanda. "For all the griping I do about how fidgety the babies are, I really do love being pregnant and I want to experience it at least one more time before I get too old—or, God forbid—something happens to us because of work that makes another pregnancy impossible."

They didn't often talk about the very real possibilities of them getting injured or killed in the line of duty because they had both accepted it a long time ago, but even still, Nick understood.

"Okay, Mandy. We can try for kid number six, but only so long as Grace and Zion are out of diapers first."

"Deal." Amanda chuckled.

"But what if kind number six wanders into our lives like Lilyjoy and Rubyjane did, though?"

"Then I'll love baby boy as much as I love Lily and Ruby."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "You want another son?"

Amanda gave a nod. "Yes, because you didn't know Gil when he was a baby, and also because right now, poor Zion has two sisters and two female cousins to contend with. Our little guy needs a brother."

"All valid p—what are you doing?"

While they were talking, Amanda had grown hungry and now the twins were making sure she felt it.

"Help me up?"

Nick helped Amanda into a sitting position and watched as she stood and put on her gown and slippers. Nearby, Frannie Mae was rising from her own bed and stretching so she could keep her mistress company. Frannie Mae had taken to accompanying Zara everywhere since she'd come back to New York, but now, the further Amanda's pregnancy progressed, the more she stuck with her, her original companion.

"Do the babies want a midnight snack?" Nick asked.

"Uh-huh." Amanda kissed Nick on the lips and then turned off the lamp. "Go to bed, mi amor—I'll be back in awhile."

It was a short walk from the main bedroom to the kitchen, but in that time, Amanda began to feel that something was wrong. Even Frannie Mae felt it because she was pressing even closer to her mistress and was completely on guard, in a mode that Amanda had never witnessed in her pet before.

Amanda grew nervous when Frannie Mae bared her teeth and began to growl. "What is it? Show mama what's wrong?"

"Hello, Junebug." came a new voice.

Just the sound made Amanda's blood run cold, plus, only one of her parents ever called her that.

Looking around, she saw that the back door was open, letting in the warm summer night air. Leaning against the kitchen counter, as easy as you please, was Odis Lee Rollins. For once, he was completely sober.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Amanda gasped. "How _dare_ you come to where my family and I live!"

Before Odis Lee could say anything, Frannie Mae let out a very loud, very sharp kind of bark that immediately woke everyone in the house.

Annoyed, Odis Lee cocked his gun and pointed it at the dog, considering her.

Amanda began to beg for the life of her pet, the way she would if one of her children was being threatened. "Oh, _please_ don't shoot her, daddy! I'll do _anything—_ just _don't_ touch my dog!"

"Alright, I won't!"

A creak in the floorboards drew the attention both father and daughter towards the kitchen entrance, where Nick was walking in slowly, his gun drawn and aimed at the trespasser. When he registered that the trespasser was Amanda's father, he felt sick, but mostly because of how terrified Amanda looked.

"Put your gun down, and we can all talk about this like adults, Odis!" Nick said firmly. "This isn't worth hurting your daughter or your grandchildren!"

"Oh, I won't hurt them." he sneered, pulling Amanda close and keeping his gun trained at her beau. "I'm going to leave here with my firstborn, and you're going to let me, because otherwise, I will do something that nobody is going to like."

At that, Amanda's resolve crumbled. "Nick, I love you forever, and I'm so, _so_ sorry that you fell in love me, who comes from crazy-stock. Look after everyone, and please make sure Alex and Casey look after Olivia."

Nick was brokenhearted at Amanda's apology, but more brokenhearted over the fact that she'd felt she had to make one. He loved her unconditionally, and he knew that she loved him like that, too, even in spite of the current peril.

"I promise you I will, Amanda. I love you with all my heart."

Odis Lee growled in Amanda's ear, "Tell your dog to stay, and let's roll."

Gathering up the strength which had abandoned her, Amanda addressed her dog.

"Sit."

Frannie Mae sat.

"Stay."

Frannie Mae stayed and watched, along with Nick, as Amanda vanished into the night with her father.


	31. Bedelia's Terrors

Poor Bedelia was having a terrible night.

Sleep had evading her lately, and not just because she had two very small children. What with her occasional nightmares about her attack and the events from that day, and going to therapy so she could start trying to get back to normal, as well as nannying, working on her GED, and wondering where her husband was, she was worn out and sleeping as often as she could, but it still never felt like enough.

On top of everything else, Maggie Blue's birthday was in less than twelve hours, and Bedelia was determined to throw her a birthday party. Even with their lives being as topsy-turvy as they were, Bedelia didn't want to skip her daughter's birthday because Maggie Blue deserved as much normalcy as possible.

Tonight, she'd put Leon to bed first, with Maggie Blue going down for the count a little while after him. With Maggie Blue, though, Bedelia laid with her on her bed, holding her and singing her to sleep. When the little girl was fast asleep, Bedelia removed her hearing aids and set them on the beside table before kissing her daughter on the forehead turning on her night light and exiting the bedroom for her own.

Bedelia was asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

* * *

She was awoken some time later by someone roughly shaking her awake.

To her horror, when she turned on the light, she was face-to-face with Odis Lee, and not only that, but he was pointing a gun at her.

Bedelia tried not to scream. "What do you _want?_ I don't have _anything_ to give you!"

"I came back to talk to you about the family relocating!"

"No! We are _not_ going back to Georgia—Maggie and Leon deserve _better_ than _Loganville!"_

Odis Lee sneered at his wife. "Then we're going to up the ante since you love them so much: we're going to bring them to _Junebug_ tonight, and then _we_ are going to go back to Georgia, where we'll do things right, once and for all, and so I can keep an eye on you to discourage you from getting any ideas about running away again!"

"That's a _terrible_ idea, and you need to go! _Now!"_

For emphasis, Bedelia spat in Odis Lee's face. After wiping away the spit, Odis Lee retaliated by clocking Bedelia on the temple with the butt of his gun.

"That will teach you! Now stay sti—"

"No!"

Bedelia lashed out and kicked her husband near his groin area.

Before Odis Lee could make another move, however, there was a sound that neither he nor Bedelia has been expecting—the sound of the bedroom door creaking further open as it was pushed by their youngest daughter. Maggie Blue had woken because she was thirsty, and she needed Bedelia's help getting water.

When she saw both of her parents, and how scared Bedelia was, she became terrified. Her first instinct was to go protect Leon, but since she couldn't hear anything, she looked to her mother for guidance.

Bedelia's heart sank when she realized what Maggie Blue was waiting for, and she turned back to her spouse.

"She can't hear us because she doesn't have her hearing aids in; don't touch her or Leon! _Please!"_

Odis Lee hit Bedelia with his gun again and said in her ear, "I don't want the boy, but the girl is mine, too, so I _will_ do what I want."

The last image Bedelia had before passing out on her bed was of Odis Lee scooping Maggie Blue up in his arms and leaving the room with her. Maggie Blue was too scared to even cry out.

When Bedelia came to, she had a splitting headache but immediately remembered what had happened, and she let out a small scream of terror.

Immediately, she grabbed her phone from her bedside table and ran to Leon's room to check on him. He was in his crib, just waking up, in fact—he'd slept through the whole thing.

"Oh, bless you, baby boy." Bedelia whispered, lifting him from his crib and hugging and kissing him. "I'm _so_ happy to see you!"

Leon just giggled and snuggled close to his mother's chest, wanting to be fed already. Bedelia just winced because her bust was quite sore. Immediately after, she had a fresh wave of terror and queasiness washed over her when she remembered that Maggie Blue was still gone.

Scared of passing out again, Bedelia sat in the rocking chair by Leon's crib and held him in the crook of one arm while she used her free hand to call for help.

"911 Operator." came a cool, collected voice on the other end of the line. "What's your emergency?"

Bedelia lost what little composure she'd had. "M-my husband abducted our special needs daughter and knocked me out with is his gun! I-I only just came to!"

"M'am, when you say 'special needs,' what exactly do you mean?"

"She has hearing aids because she's almost completely deaf, and she can talk, but she prefers to sign!"

"M'am, what is her name?"

"Maggie Blue Alison Rollins, and she turns three tomorrow! I'm her mother, Bedelia Rae Rollins, and Maggie's father—my husband—doesn't live with us!"

"Bedelia, are you still at 25367 West 82nd Street?"

"Yes—in apartment 1A!"

"I'm alerting the detectives from the sixteenth precinct to come to your apartment now, and they can be there in ten minutes. Do you feel as though you may faint again? Are you bleeding?"

Bedelia breathed through her mouth when she felt her stomach begin to roil. "Yes to both."

"Do you have any other children?"

"My baby boy, Leon, and—oh, God…"

"Missus Rollins?"

"I have to go." Bedelia said shortly.

"Wait—"

Bedelia hung up on the operator, put Leon back in his crib, and ran to the bathroom, just in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet… for the third time in two days.

Just after she was decent again, the police arrived, along with the paramedics. She was incredibly relieved to see Fin, Carisi, and Melinda.

Carisi helped Bedelia sit down on the couch and asked, "Where is Leon?"

"In his crib—Odis has no interest in him. I was holding Leon while I called 911, but I put him back because I got sick. He's wide awake and hungry."

"Olivia is on her way because I called her, but I'll get Leon."

"Okay, and thanks." Bedelia said sincerely. "Dominick, will you feed him? I don't have the energy, but there's a bottle in the fridge."

Dominick Carisi was a gentleman because he came from a family with a lot of sisters and zero brothers besides him, and he also respected Bedelia because she was the mother of one of his closest friends, as well as his elder.

Bedelia was also the only person besides Olivia who could call him Dominick and get away with it.

"You got it, Bedelia."

When he left, Melinda examined Bedelia's wound and said to her, "I'm going to clean your wound and examine you for a concussion."

"Do I need stitches?"

"It doesn't look like it so far. Just focus on Fin."

Bedelia turned to the man in question and began explaining the situation to him while Melinda cleaned her wound. She was in the middle of the explanation when Olivia showed up and sat with her. Bedelia almost lost it all over again, but Olivia sat with her and encouraged her to finish, promising she'd get the rest of the story from someone else.

"What do I do?" she asked when she was finished. "He didn't rape me, but I'm sure he would have tried if Maggie hadn't walked in. We haven't heard from Odis Lee in like a month, so he could take her anywhere… even to Georgia."

Olivia motioned towards Fin, who was on the other side of the room, talking on his phone.

"Fin is already putting out a BOLO. Do you know what that stands for?"

"Be On Lookout; Amanda-June told me that one once." Bedelia began to rub her eyes like a little girl. "We've gotta call her, Nick, and Audrey."

"The squad and I are going to take care of all of that, so right now, we're just going to worry about you right now, alright?" Olivia turned to Melinda. "Does she need stitches?"

"Nope," Melinda reported after cleaning up the blood from Bedelia's wound and giving her eyes a cursory examination with a pen light. "And no concussion, either, but… Bedelia…"

"Yes?"

Melinda posed her inquiry softly, so only Bedelia and Olivia could hear. "I'm only saying this because even with everything that's happened in the last month, you've been looking really off-color lately, anyway; is there any chance that you could be pregnant again?"

Bedelia's bottom lip trembled and made a face identical to the one Amanda made when she was especially devastated.

"I-I actually think I am—it would have been because of what happened last month. I'm really scared."

Olivia gave her friend a sympathetic back rub and looked over at Melinda again, this time giving her an imploring look. Melinda understood.

"Is there a quiet place we can go?" the dark-skinned woman asked, patting her medical equipment bag. "I have a portable doplar machine with me and we can use that to check."

"My room is full of people going through it, but there's a spare bed in Maggie's room. Come on."

Sensing that Bedelia wouldn't be able to take it well if they parted any time, Olivia followed the others and helped Bedelia lay down on the bigger, spare bed. She even held the doplar machine while Melinda used the wand to see if there was anything to detect.

"There you go, Bedelia." Melinda held the machine wand in one place over the blond's abdomen. "It's very tiny, but there _is_ a baby there."

Olivia watched as an imperceptible amount of emotions ran across Bedelia's face, and then Olivia realized with a jolt that way back when, her own mother must have felt the same way when she felt when she realized that she was pregnant with her rapist's baby.

Olivia wanted to say something to comfort Bedelia, but was interrupted by a phone call from Nick. She took it out in the hallway, and that was how she learned about Amanda's abduction.

After a call to Alex—who was awake and waiting for updates—it was decided that she would get Noah bundled up and drive out to be with Nick, and to help him look after the children.

When Olivia returned to the bedroom, she saw that Bedelia was cleaned up and that Melinda had packed her own things away. Both women realized that something more was afoot, just by the look that Olivia was bearing on her face.

"Olivia, what is it?" Bedelia said cautiously.

Olivia put a hand on her friend's forearm and spoke with as much control as she could. "B, that was Nick on the phone just now, and I'm _so_ sorry, but Amanda's been taken, too."

Bedelia let out a wail of despair and collapsed.


	32. Speaking A Dead Language

Odis Lee had a pickup truck that he'd bought for cheap while still down in Georgia, and it was this truck that he'd rode into on his way to first collect Amanda, and then Maggie Blue. After collecting his youngest daughter, he hurried out of Bedelia's place very quickly, and once in the cab of his truck, he handed her off to Amanda with a warning to take extra good care of her, or else she'd regret it. Still shaking from the traumatic circumstances of her own abduction, Amanda held Maggie Blue close and gave her extra cuddles and kisses when she realized that she didn't have her hearing devices, and was completely depending on her.

Unoriginal in thought, Odis Lee ended up taking them to Central Park.

* * *

After parking his truck, Odis Lee forced his daughters out of the vehicle and made them watch while he gathered a few things out of the hatchback truck. One of the things that Amanda noticed was a brand new shovel, the kind that was perfect for digging holes in the middle of nowhere.

Cautiously, Amanda said, "Why do you have a big shovel, daddy?"

"Never you mind, Junebug. Pick up your sister and start walking."

Not without a little difficulty because of the size of her belly, Amanda did as she told and started walking, picking up the pace when she felt her father place his gun in the middle of her back.

Eventually, they were at The Boathouse, which, by day, was a happening dining spot and wedding reception venue. At this time of night, it was closed and completely deserted.

Odis Lee had a hideout in this building, specifically in an apartment-like area that had been abandoned for years. He moved here after evading the SVU, and nobody had found him yet.

Tonight, though, Amanda and Maggie Blue weren't the only people in his 'home.'

After leaving them without a word and barricading them in, Amanda set Maggie Blue on the floor and banged her balled-up fist on the door.

"Daddy, _please_ let us out!" she called. "We'll be good and we'll do _anything!"_

A camping light behind them turned on, and a new voice called, "He won't come back—not for awhile, at least."

Amanda spun around and then felt her heart both jump and sink when she saw that it was Kim, and not only that, but once again, it looked like she'd gotten the crap kicked out of her. There had been some attempts at nursing her wounds, but she was too burned out to care.

"Kimmie!" Amanda hurried over as fast as she could to where her middle sister was laying on the floor in the middle of a sitting room area. "He took you, too? But _why?"_

"I think it's to lure mama out so he can 'really' change her her mind about 'doing things right' and going to Georgia." her bottom lip trembled and her voice wavered. "What did I do to deserve this? I must have been _really_ bad."

True, Kim had a crazy side that often led her to do bad things, and true, she wouldn't deny that she'd slept around a lot, in this particular situation, she needed to hear and feel positive, reassuring things.

"Nothing, Kimberly Paige. You haven't done _anything_ to deserve this." Amanda pulled her sister close in a quick hug. _"None_ of this is your fault."

Kim relaxed and then became distracted when she caught sight of Maggie Blue, who had only just noticed her.

"Is that Maggie?"

"Oh, that's right—you two haven't met yet, huh?"

Ashamed, Kim said, "I was too full of myself these past years to get to know her at all, and I left our trailer for another side of the park when mama was pregnant. I never tried to get to know her."

"And I was too busy getting the hell out of Dodge to know she even existed."

"Can Maggie hear us?" Kim asked suddenly. "She's got the same adorably blank look on her face that Ruby and Lily would give me before they got their hearing aids."

"She's ninety-five percent deaf." Amanda explained as she beckoned to Maggie Blue to come join them. "She can hear us, technically, but she described it once as 'very, very far away,' so she relies on hearing aids like Lily and Ruby do."

"Does she have them in now?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, but she's very good at signing and reading lips."

"Does she talk?"

Amanda nodded and held onto Maggie Blue's hands, gently pulling her closer to them when she was within reach.

"Yes, but she's a little bit loud."

Kim nodded in understanding and then marveled over her baby sister. "Amanda, she's _gorgeous,_ and she looks like she could be _your_ kid, not our _sister."_

"Don't I know it." Amanda said, relieved that her sisters' attention was distracted from their immediate situation. "Try talking to her—she needs cheering up, as it is, but she's also very friendly."

Kim turned her attention towards her baby sister and signed as she spoke. "Hello, Maggie Blue. My name is Kim."

Too exhausted to answer verbally, Maggie Blue signed, _Hi, Kimmie!_ and waved.

"I'm your sister," Kim explained, continuing to sign. "And Lily's and Ruby's mama."

Maggie Blue's mouth dropped open in surprise, but she answered, _I love Lily and Ruby a lot._

Kim almost cried in relief. "Thank you, baby girl."

Maggie Blue was enamored with Kim by now, so came closer and gently touched her scuffed up cheek.

 _You're hurt._

"Yes, I am."

 _Was it daddy?_

"Yes."

 _Because he didn't use his words?_

"Exactly."

Maggie Blue felt a huge surge of pity for her sister and kissed her on her forehead before psoing a new inquiry.

 _Do you want a hug?_

Kim nodded and Maggie Blue hugged her immediately, pouring in as much love and affection as she could—she loved making people feel better, and she was also thrilled by the knowledge of knowing that she had another sister.

Amanda watched them with a mixture of joy and sadness: she was joyful that her little sisters were already starting to adore each other and that Kim, who was now a mother, herself, was being so mature about accepting Maggie Blue and not caring that was was different. Amanda also felt sad that Bedelia wasn't able to witness the sight of all three of her daughters together for the first time. The love that Bedelia had for all of her children had no limits, and Amanda was sure that if her mother could see all of her daughters caring for each other, she would turn her to mush immediately.

Amanda was brought back to reality when she felt a hard kick adjacent to her rib cage.

"What is it?" Kim asked.

"Just your nephew being silly." Amanda explained, blowing out a breath and rubbed the spot. "Whenever he's awake, like now, he can't handle it if I stay still or upright for too long. His twin sister barely tolerates it and kicks him and me in retaliation... or when she feels things are too quiet. Thank God she's asleep."

Kim looked at her sister in adoration, having only heard one part of what she'd said.

"You're having one of each?"

"Yep. Your nephew is called Zion, and your niece is named Grace. Nick and I are so excited to meet them, and so is everyone else."

"Even Lilyjoy and Rubyjane?"

Amanda grinned as she thought of her nieces. "They're positively tickled that we have more twins joining the family, and they love giving my belly kisses."

"I'm so proud of my babies." Kim said softly. "I did my best to change for them and not mess my body up when I knew they were there, and I taught them about love, but I never expected them to show that much love towards anyone besides themselves or me."

"Nick's daughter, Zara, treats Lily and Ruby like her babies, and Nick's mom, Audrey, treats them like her grandbabies."

"What about our mother? Does she like them?"

"She _loves_ them, more than you could know, and she spoils them rotten. All of that is probably what's enhanced Lily's and Ruby's ability to love."

"How does Maggie feel about them? They're less than a year apart."

"Maggie has a real soft spot for them, and when she comes to visit with Leon, she and the twins are inseparable because she does love them deeply, but she also appreciates that they're different, too. The compassion alone that she shows them is tremendous."

Now Kim actually did cry. "My babies are so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who love them and want to show them and teach them wonderful things—this is exactly what I wanted for them!"

Amanda wiped Kim's tears and then looked around. "Kimmie, where's Maggie?"

"She's here." Kim pointed to her lap, where Maggie Blue was curled up in a ball, fast asleep because she'd reached her limit of being awake. "She's passed out because she must be exhausted."

Kim gestured towards Amanda's belly.

"You must be, too. Come on—I remember what it's like, carrying two babies."

Even though Kim was in pain from being beaten, she stood, pulled Amanda to her feet, and carried Maggie Blue on her hip, even though she was now sleeping deadweight.

"Where are you taking us?"

"Just trust me, Amanda."

Kim led her sisters to a small bedroom off the front room. Like the rest of the apartment, the room was a little rundown and had a lot of old army cots and blankets, enough to make Amanda wonder if they'd been stored there or if her father had turned into a hoarder... or both.

"It's not much, but it's a roof over our heads and places to sleep. I've also tried calling for help, but there's no electricity, and nobody can hear us."

Though that prospect frightened Amanda, she didn't let it show. She was an officer of the NYPD SVU, the city's most elite squad, and even in undesirable circumstances, she still had to keep as level a head as she could.

Amanda set the lantern down on the floor and started making a pallet out of some of the blankets for Maggie Blue so she could have something soft to lay on while she slept. When she finished, Kim laid her down and helped Amanda tuck her in. Feeling the warmth from the blankets, Maggie Blue sank deep into sleep.

Her sisters watched her for a moment before they sat down on one of the other cots together.

"You're right that it isn't much, but it'll do for now." Amanda said. "If daddy doesn't come back too early in the morning, I'll start thinking of an escape plan."

"But—"

"Trust me."

"Alight, I will..."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "Something else you want to get off your chest?"

Kim spoke softly, like she was being reflective. "Amanda, I know that daddy has killed since coming to New York, but before he left to get you and Maggie, he was talking about someone named Lionel, and he wasn't exactly happy—who is he?"

Amanda sighed. "You were going to find out eventually, but he's an attorney who has never exactly been chummy with my squad... and he's daddy's half brother."

 _"Excuse me?!"_

"Yeah, it was a shock to me, too. What makes you bring him up at all?"

"Daddy was irritated, and the way he was talking about him, I'm not sure he's going to make it out of this whole thing alive."

That news gave Amanda a sinking feeling. She really hoped that her father didn't kill the attorney because nobody else needed to die during this case.

"I'm sure Olivia will figure it out and look for Uncle Granger so she can warn him."

Kim laid down and spoke her next words with a little bit of attitude. "Olivia can look for him, just like she should be looking for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Daddy took me from the back garden of the rehab center. I was by myself, so nobody saw him take me, and I've been here for hours. I don't know if anyone is looking for me."

"They'll have figured it out by now, and added you to the list of people to look for."

"Are you sure?"

With utmost confidence, Amanda confirmed, "Absolutely."

"Will you protect Maggie and me until help comes?"

Amanda laid down and faced Kim, gently stroking her features in a reassuring way. "You two are my baby sisters—of _course_ I'll protect you."

"Thank you."

"I love you, little sis, you know that, right? No matter what you do or how many times we fight, I _do_ love you because we're family."

"I know now, and I love you, too." Kim said softly. "Thank you again."

Amanda reached over and turned out the lantern before pulling a pile of blankets over herself and her sister.

"You're very welcome."

Though Amanda couldn't see in the darkness, Kim fell asleep with a smile on her face, feeling safe again for the first time in hours.

Amanda fell asleep listening the sound of both of her sisters breathing, and just for the night, she forgot about her woes.


	33. All Hands On Deck

Bedelia sat on her living room couch, blank and staring at nothing as many different people milled about, chatting on radios, or else with each other as they decided to decide how it would be best to go about looking for and rescuing Amanda and Maggie Blue.

She'd recovered from her collapsing, and Carisi had even made her a cup of tea, but she just held the mug in one hand, while with the other, she kept it clamped over her midriff, channeling her energy into thinking about the tiny, beautiful, innocent life that was growing away in her womb without a care in the world.

What would her new baby be like?

Would he or she be fierce and protective like her, or dangerous and full of anger, like Odis Lee?

Would he or she be strong and unwavering like Amanda?

Wild and crazy, but still good-hearted, like Kim?

Or would he or she be compassionate and full of nothing but love, like Maggie Blue?

Or would the little one just be normal and silly, like Leon?

Would the child be born healthy like Amanda, Kim, and Leon were, or would she have another child with special needs, like Maggie Blue?

Would the baby be another carbon copy of her, like Amanda, Maggie Blue, and Leon, or would he or she look like Odis Lee, the way that Kim did?

And would she have a second son, or a fourth daughter?

Already, she was hoping for a daughter, because even though she loved all of her children equally, she just didn't know if she could handle having a son that looked like Odis Lee.

Was this the struggle that Serena Benson had had to go through when she realized she was pregnant with Olivia?

How she wished Serena was still alive so she could ask her.

* * *

Suddenly, there was movement beside her, so she reached out and caught the other person by the arm.

"Olivia, wait." she said.

Olivia sat back down and turned her attention to her friend. "What is it?"

"Where are Nick, Audrey, and Alex? Queens?"

"Alex bundled Noah up and took him with her, so they could be with Nick; she volunteered to help keep him sane and the kids asleep. I got a text from Alex after they settled in that said Audrey was already there because Nick called her and asked her to come."

"I need to see them."

"Okay. We can arrange for someone to take you and Leon out there. Bedelia?"

For all of a sudden, Bedelia was overcome with only the kind of sick dread a mother could get when worrying about one of her children.

"Have you heard from Kim?"

Olivia was taken aback. "Not recently, no. Why?"

Just then, Carisi approached the duo, still holding Leon, who was now fast asleep again. Bedelia put her drink down and reached for Leon, having the energy to be attentive to him again. She gave her sleeping son kisses when he was in her arms again, and Leon grinned broadly as he slept on.

Meanwhile, Olivia spoke to her detective when she she realized he had something to say.

"Cough it up, Carisi. This is no time for beating around the bush."

The young man spoke nervously, but mostly because Bedelia was beside Olivia, what he had to say concerned her. "I was just informed by the PD in Murray Hill that Kim was abducted from her rehab center earlier today."

Olivia's heart became doused in despair and even disbelief, while Bedelia became blank again.

"Olivia," Bedelia finally said after a few moments. "I loved my husband once, but not anymore, not after everything he's done now, capping it off by kidnapping all three of my daughters in a single night." (she let out a shaky breath as she realized the depth of what she had to say next) "My daughters have all met for the first time—I have no doubt that they're all together at the moment—and it wasn't even under happy circumstances; my husband robbed me of being able to see the girls' first meeting altogether."

"What are you saying?" Olivia asked cautiously.

"What I'm saying is that I'm finally throwing in the towel as far as my husband is concerned. If he goes to Riker's Island, even for life, I don't ever want to see him again, and if he dies tonight, then it's no less than what he deserves. I also refuse to go to any kind of burial, and my wishes are that the city cremates him."

"Alright. We'll keep that in mind." Olivia turned from her to Carisi. "Bedelia really wants to go to Nick and Amanda's house to be with the others. Alex is there with Noah, and she's helping Nick look after the kids. Audrey is there, too. Will you drop them off, please?"

"You got it." he said seriously. "Anything else?"

"Come back to the precinct when you're done."

"I understand."

While Carisi occupied himself with his beset task, Olivia cleared Bedelia's apartment of the extra people, all of whom vacated very quickly.

That just left her with Fin and Melinda.

Being able to read Olivia like a book after all these years, Fin asked her, "And we're going back to the station, huh?"

"Yes." Olivia turned to Melinda. "And nobody is dead, so far as I know, but you might as well come, too, since already showed up with Odafin."

Something in the way Olivia said her detective's real name caused the man in question to stop in his tracks as he stood next to his companion and began shuffling his feet. The action forcibly reminded Olivia of Noah when she would catch him being naughty.

"How long have you two been together?" Olivia asked, hands on her hips.

Fin hung his head, unable to deny that the cat was out of the bag while Melinda said without any preamble, "Since about the time we found Maggie Blue and Frannie Mae in the park."

"This means Alex owes me a hundred bucks, but congrats, you two." Olivia told her friends. "And next time you try to hide something from me, try harder—I started suspecting the day of."

And with that, Olivia sauntered away from the lovebirds and to the front door, leaving the other two to stare after her.

* * *

 ** _16th Precinct_**

 ** _178 North Street_**

 ** _Manhattan_**

 ** _11:30 PM_**

* * *

When Olivia, Fin, and Melinda arrived back at SVU, they were surprised to see that Casey, Barba, George, and even Trevor were waiting for them by Olivia's office. For them.

Not even questioning how they'd all known to show up, Olivia opened up her office and turned on the light, soon sitting beside the eight-and-a-half month pregnant Casey, who had immediately taken the couch, and in spite of the situation, had the appearance of being disgruntled about something.

"What's wrong?" Olivia wanted to know. "You're on maternity leave, last I checked, and your baby is due any day now."

"I know, I know." Casey blew out a breath and rubbed her swollen middle vigorously as Mìa kicked nonstop. "Amanda is my friend, and so is Bedelia, but even with you, me, Rafael, Fin, Melinda, Trevor, and George all here, and the stakes are all this high, there are still two people missing."

Olivia made the connection immediately and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, don't say it."

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Do what you have to, but for the love of God, take backup."

Casey let out a whine. "But I just sat down!"

Olivia looked at Barba, who was watching them closely. "Help her stand. You guys can take the kitchen."

Barba did as Olivia instructed, and when he steadied Casey, the redhead hung her head and sighed.

"Come on, Raf—it's time to play a special edition of my favorite game." she said sarcastically.

Only because of the lateness of the hour, Barba felt confused. "And what game would that be?"

"Casey Wakes A Judge."

Olivia quipped, "And Acacia is just so good at this game—I've seen her play it time and again, but never with two judges."

On her way out with Barba in tow, Casey called, "Shut up, Liv!"

"Anybody want to fill in the blanks?" Trevor asked when they had gone.

"Casey is going to call Donnelley and Petrovsky—they've always been in our corner."

"I would call them," George chimed in. "But they just don't like me because of how often we've butted heads over the years."

Melinda watched Olivia and she moved from the couch to her desk and sat down at it.

"What do we do now?" the medical examiner inquired. "Three of Bedelia Rollins' children have been taken in a single night, and whatever is happening, I have a feeling that this is the final showdown."

"I couldn't agree more." Olivia said as she began rifling through the papers on her desk for something in particular. "It's definitely all hands on deck now, and I hate to say it, but I need all of you to hang tight."

"Why?" Trevor asked. "And what are you looking for?"

"The piece of paper I wrote the information for Kim Rollins' rehab center on—got it!"

She propped the paper against the phone cradle and put her glasses on.

Feeling everybody's eyes on her as she picked up the phone and began to dial, she added, "This has been a hell of a day, and from the sound of it, it sounds like Kim has been gone for awhile; I'm going to call the rehab center to find out why it took them so long it took them to report her missing!"

* * *

 ** _Rollins-Amaro Residence_**

 ** _2266 Azalea Street_**

 ** _Forest Hills, Queens_**

 ** _Midnight_**

* * *

Though Bedelia was no closer to having her daughters back in her arms, she still felt safe at the house in Queens with Nick, Audrey, Frannie Mae, and all of the little kids.

She knew perfectly well that this was where Amanda had been taken from, but when she saw uniforms clearing out and driving away as Carisi pulled the car into the driveway, she had a feeling that Odis Lee wasn't going to be fool enough to come back. She was also sure that Odis Lee was using their daughters as bait to get her to come look for him, but she was still had one—no, two more children to protect.

After Carisi saw her and Leon inside, and after he sent Olivia a text that everything was good and that he was on his way back to work, Bedelia thanked him. She was fast becoming friends with Carisi, and she found him as genuine and charming as he was helpful. He was like a little brother.

Audrey saw Carisi out of the house and then took Leon to the sitting room with her while Bedelia put her things away. When she arrived to where the others were, she saw Audrey sitting in an armchair, holding Leon and rocking hime gently in her arms as he she shifted in his sleep. He settled quickly when Audrey got him out of his traveling clothes and swaddled him in a warm baby blanket. Looking around, however, Bedelia soon realized that Leon was the only child in the room, deducing that Zara, Noah, Lilyjoy, and Rubyjane were all asleep in the bedrooms.

That being said, other than Frannie Mae, who was camped out on the couch and laying down with her head resting against Alex's baby belly, Bedelia also realized that Leon was the only other occupant of the sitting room that was reasonably calm.

Everyone else was on edge: Alex and Nick had been bickering, and Alex, in her loyalty to Olivia, was opposing what Nick was proposing. On the other hand, Nick was (almost vehemently) opposing Alex's words, although from where Bedelia stood, it sounded like Alex was looking out for Nick, with the concern of a sibling.

"What's happening?" Bedelia asked.

Nick and Alex paused in their tiff to greet Bedelia.

Nick even gave her a hug and said, "Why don't you come with Alex?"

"Nice try." Bedelia replied. "Why are you and Alex bickering?"

"She means well, but when I told her that I want to help out at the precinct right now, she put her foot down."

Bedelia nodded in acknowledgement and looked at the other person involved. "Alexandra?"

Immediately squirming in her seat because the only people older than her who called her by her actual name were her fiancée, or else the more distinguished judges she encountered at work, Alex blurted, "Nick is as good as my big brother, and he's close with Olivia—I would be remiss because of those relationships, and as a friend, if I let him go in to a situation where a madman is on the loose!"

"That is very fair, and your concern is valid." Bedelia said that in a calm tone, having years of experience of breaking up Amanda's and Kim's fights before casting a look at the other person who was watching them. "Audrey, do you have anything that you want to add?"

"Oh, I'm staying out of this one." she said quickly. "The children have already been at it for twenty minutes."

Taking that in stride, Bedelia moved back to Nick. "You really want to go and help, huh?"

"Yes, and I appreciate Alex's concern, but I'm not about to fall apart, not when I can help."

Bedelia raised an eyebrow, questioning him further. "Are you sure you're not going to flip out when you get there?"

"I'm very sure, and Olivia wouldn't hesitate to kick my ass if I did."

"But you'll be on your best behavior?"

Nick was actually dressed to hit the road, keys in hand. Literally.

"I give you my word that I will be."

Bedelia straightened Nick's jacket collar and began brushing imaginary wrinkles from it. "My children—all of them—are the best and most beautiful accomplishments of my life, Nicolas, and I know that you understand that because you fell in love with my oldest child and started a family with her."

"Amanda is the absolute love of my life, and I would do anything for her, Kim, Maggie, or Leon because she has shown me time and again over the years that no matter what your family looks like or how big it is, family always takes care of family. Let me go, and I'll bring your daughters back."

Nick spoke with such sincerity that Bedelia gave a warm hug and when she pulled away, said, "Take care of yourself, but go look for my babies and bring them back to me so I can give them kisses. Audrey, Alex, and I will hold the fort down and look after the kids."

"Thank you, Bedelia. I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

 ** _The Boathouse_**

 ** _Central Park_**

 ** _12:07 AM_**

* * *

As Amanda, Kim, and Maggie Blue slept, all three of them eventually started having nightmares, making them almost thankful for an abrupt wakeup call, unpleasant as it was.

"What is that?" Kim asked as they listened to someone coming in to the front part of their dwelling. "It sounds like daddy came back."

Amanda pulled Maggie Blue into her arms to keep her safe, saying, "Yes, but he sounds like he's got someone with him!"

Indeed—

 _"NO! DO NOT TOUCH HER—JUST LET HER GO AND TAKE ME! PLEASE!"_

Amanda's heart jumped when she heard the voice because she recognized it.

 _But how could this be?_

Amanda didn't have time to ponder the question any further because the door opened, and though her father stood in the doorway, it was to give a shove to the person in his company because she had fallen to her knees as she continued to plead with him for mercy.

When Amanda turned her lamp and shone it in the direction of the newcomer, her heart took an express elevator to the floor.

 _"Azalea?"_


End file.
